A Soldier's Homecoming
by le Chardonnay
Summary: Wufei never thought peace would be so dull. His mind is slowly leading up to a point where breaking isn't too far off. Can the latest mission save him and the others at the same time? This is a story about how a Gundam pilot survives in peace time.
1. Mission Time

Disclaimer: All characters belong to the creators of Gundam Wing and those who own publishing rights. This work was created for entertainment purposes. No money is made from it.

Pairings: 1 x 5 x 2; 3 x 4; U x S; 13 x 6

Warnings: Mainly a friendship, growth process type of fanfic.

Summary: Wufei never thought peace would be so dull. His mind is slowly leading up to a point where breaking isn't too far off. Can the latest mission save him and the others at the same time? This is a story about how a war broke five young men and how peace time slowly rebuilds them with each other's help.

Author's Notes: The parts of this story is most likely going to be spread apart widely time wise. There might be some change in style in between but the story line should be the same. As you can tell, I focus mainly on Wufei but I hope to show that it is not only Wufei who has problems dealing with peacetime since in those story, all five boys are flawed in one way or another.

Unbetaed.

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Soldier's Welcome

2010–10–05

By leChardonnay

Chapter 1

There is nothing he could do anymore. What need is there for a soldier who lived for the thrill of war and battles during a time of peace and tranquility? What is his new purpose? The fallen heir to a now non-existent kingdom looked out of the grimy window, almond eyes dull with the lack of previous fire. A slim hand moved to press a palm to the surface of the dirty glass and Wufei could only sighed softly at the feel of the cold spreading through his hand. No, there was no longer a need for a warrior like himself. He could try, yes, to find a purpose but all he had was his passion for justice and his skills in the martial arts. And even then, they were diminishing quickly.

Once again, of what need does an era of tranquility have for a soldier who already lost his sense of duty in the world? Wufei had better hopes in committing suicide and finding some peace in the next world. He supposed it was just another part of fate laughing at him that doing so would be sinning in his own culture; life prevented everything, even his own way to get his own definition of 'peace'.

In Maxwell terms: Life sucked.

He sighed again, this time moving to lower his head toward the glass so his forehead pressed gently against the cold. Inwardly, the Chinese ex-pilot smiled to himself darkly. The season was cold and dreary. Fall had already come to an end on Earth and most of the sights that had given him a bit of happiness now were the colors of decomposed mud and skeleton branches. Even the sun had fled away, as if finding it impossible to the fight the sorrow that came with the name Winter.

He closed his eyes, another sigh leaving pale thin lips. The breath of air fogged the window for a moment before the spot receded. Wufei stayed like this for a few minutes, palm and forehead pressing against the dirty window of his simple but rather tiny room of the shared apartment. 'I wonder what someone would think if they walked in and saw me like this. Would they pity me or would they sympathize?' Wufei wondered. He chuckled, albeit a bit darkly. "What fool would sympathize with a monster who wishes for a war simply to quench the thirst for a duty?" Just as he was about to give in to his third sigh and thus, lose a bit of his life should the Chinese superstition hold true, a sharp sound of knuckles rapping on wood reached his ears. Wufei paused and waited.

"Wufei? Wufei are you in there? We just got a mission and Heero is preparing for a small debriefing downstairs. Are you free?"

The door acting as a barrier between Wufei and the blond Arabian muffled Quatre's voice but still, the gentle tones seem to wash over the gloomy room, replacing a bit of the atmosphere with something a bit sunnier. Although temporary, it affected Wufei's mindset as well.

"Wufei? Are you alright?" Quatre sounded quite worried and Wufei could imagine in his mind's eye the sight of the other man stuck between being polite and waiting for a response and bursting in to check if his friend – 'Comrade, not friend', Wufei told himself- was alright.

"Yes, Quatre. I'm fine. I'll see you downstairs in a minute."

There was a pause in front of his door before he heard the sound of shuffling feet.

"Alright Wufei. Come down soon." There was a sigh, one completely different from that of Wufei's own. This sigh was filled with confusion and perhaps a touch of anxiety; it was like someone who was tempted to ask a question but knew that only more questions would stem from it.

Wufei had long lost his need for such questions and the scholar within him was now quite dead, sleeping away the passing time and the _tick tock_ of clocks in a coffin of stone and old blood. Even his favorite tomes telling stories of old warriors fighting for their country and the science of art could no longer ignite within him the passion he was known for. 'I'm not even able to be what is expected of me. What use am I?' Wufei shook his head before moving toward the door and opening it. The blond pilot had already left and the sight of an empty hallway made some aches known. Whether the aches be something of a physical matter or an emotional one has yet to be discussed and Wufei filled it away to a small corner of his mind where dust had been collected by layers.

He took the stairs down. Although they were chipped and old, they were solid. Yet with the feeling of being weighted down by a burden unbeknown to him, Wufei wondered if they would hold the next time he stepped down. For now, it seems that he was light enough to pass for another day.

"Hurry up. We need to prepare the records and start planning before we leave."

Heero. Heero Heero Heero. Heero Yuy was a man of action and of little words. It was no surprise for Wufei to be greeted in such a way. Even the small piece of his heart which had once throbbed painfully before was silenced by an equally painful self-insult; it no longer had the energy to voice its concerns. Rather it stayed silent and slept; slept like the part of him that was always sleeping away the passing time.

Wufei nodded once to Heero before casting tired almond hues all around. Quatre and Trowa were sitting together near the side of the circular table closer to the wall. Quatre's light blue eyes were as clear as day, unlike his own, and were scrutinizing him without the knowing shame of being caught. Trowa stayed quiet as always. Wufei had long stopped thinking of the pilot as being 'silent'. The auburn mane male was quite a man of actions but unlike Heero, Trowa's actions were simple and small but spoke just as loud. A single emerald hue joined Quatre's eyes in studying Wufei. The other green eye is, and always has been, hidden by a long red bang. Wufei shook their gazes off, looking onwards.

Heero sat in the front of the table, back to the living room's window. Duo was sitting next to him, one arm draped over the back of his chair and the other on top of the gleaming table's surface. The Chinese man had no doubt that Duo's legs were also in a similar informal position. If it was possible, the American _would_ sprawl all over whatever he wanted. However, a glare from Heero and an arched brow from the scrutinizing pair would be all that is needed to tell him 'bad idea, Duo, bad idea'.

Wufei took the seat that was equally distanced from Heero and Quatre. The former brushed it off and simply typed something on his laptop, the sounds of keys pressing down in quick succession echoing the otherwise voiceless room. The latter had sighed softly and Wufei felt a slight twinge of what might have been shame and a tad bit of sadness.

"Why is everyone so freaking gloomy in here? C'mon man! The war is over!"

'_It is harder to accept the truth as truth than a lie.'_

"Duo, can't you read the mood?" Quatre sighed again. The American simply rolled his eyes.

"What mood? Ya mean this depressing one?"

"Duo. . ."

This time, it seemed as if the braided pilot had understood that he was about to cross a line that once crossed would bring chaos and chaos was bad. The impish face simply sent a bright and sheepish grin toward the Arabian who shook his head before sending one back, equally bright though slightly strained. Trowa stayed silent and so did Wufei. They watched instead and waited. Who would break first? Duo or Quatre?

"Enough. We need to start planning for the mission."

'_And there we go.'_ Wufei inwardly smiled to himself. Of course, it was Heero who broke the uncomfortable silence. Heero never failed to deliver during the time of war when things were rushed and had to put into order quickly without prior notice. Wufei was not at all surprised to find the man the same in some ways in the new lifestyle that peace brought. But some changes had been rather drastic.

This brought him to look over to where Duo sat and with a look, the tell-tale signs were glaringly obviously. Heero no longer flinched or glared when someone touched him, be it a shoulder tap or a full blown hug. He no longer had the cold emotionless sharpness to his cobalt eyes either. Wufei had been rather glad for that change. The thought about how truly cold Heero's eyes had been during war time had been something of a delicate issue to Wufei. This came especially during the times when it was _he_ who had to be looked at with an icy glare. But never think Wufei being afraid. Both Heero and Wufei were famous for their stubbornness. Wufei was cautious yes, but never afraid. One cannot be afraid while fighting and taking various risks to survive.

Once again, the Chinese man looked to Duo before switching back to looking at Heero. Other than being more prone to PDA and less violence, Heero seemed to have calmed down by a great deal. The man's touches to anything he cared about were softer, easier to understand though most of the time, it was the laptop and other mechanical parts that were caressed. He could even be heard asking about people's physical being and at times, though rare, their emotional state. Heero, the soldier and the robot of the squad of five, had understood peace and found a way to settle down without losing himself.

Wufei envied him and at times, wished to know if there was any way to actually pull out the stool of control and calmness the man was standing on from underneath him. It was a cruel thought and one that brought cheeks flamed with shame and of white knuckled grips on his forearms every single time without fail. It was one of the few reasons why he refrained from speaking or even meeting those cobalt eyes. The other reason was—

" Anyways, Heero thinks we should probably do this as a team of five. Whaddya think?"

Duo was the second main reason for Wufei choosing to leave every time all of them came into a room with the intention of staying. He was the reason for him choosing to stay locked up in his room with textbooks and tomes long extinct in depth of knowledge. Heero and Duo were the reason why he refused to go to any of Quatre's parties or to any of Trowa's nature outings. It was the reason why Wufei chose to drown in his own silent depression.

Strange isn't it? A man who fought for an impossible dream and who thought that peace was just a wish, was now unable to stand the presence of those who fought with him but were able to settle down whereas he had been unable to. Wufei thought it was strange too. Perhaps Meiran, his long-deceased wife, was right. Perhaps Wufei was just a weakling, unable to move past the barrier that is keeping him from moving on in life. But how could he?

How could anyone move on when there was no one to say 'hello, welcome home' at six at night or 'good morning, want some breakfast' after a painful moment of smashing the alarm clock and a cold shower? When there is no one to support him when a mission goes wrong, bringing back war time memories, how could he even get out of the darkness in his mind? There was never anyone pacing in the waiting room after he was put into the hospital for a quick surgery to get the bullet clipped into his leg out. How can Wufei walk on when there was no one waiting for him on the outside?

His thoughts were far too dark and deep for him meditate peacefully. His calligraphy had already lost the gracefulness they were once famous for. His dreams were plagued with screams and cries of lost babies and their missing mothers. The heated whispers of his ancestors chased him further and further down the line every time Wufei closed his eyes. He was ashamed and disgusted with himself. Such needs of a companion in order to survive was surely a sign of weakness. A warrior had no need for love, only duty. Yet. . .

Wufei was far too different from the others. In this time of peace, he _needed _a mission constantly. The adrenaline and the feeling of blood rushing out of flesh wounds were familiar; they were easy to understand. When the mission was over, time went back to moving on sluggishly. Duo, Heero, Trowa, and Quatre may be able to separate their past with their present but Wufei had became far too ugly with his deeds during the war to even try. Now, several months after the Mariemia incident, he was far too tired to even care. The world really was darker when you were alone.

"Oi, Wu-man, you alright there?"

Wufei jolted back to the conversation, head snapping up in an effort to show he had been paying attention. The feeling of daydreaming and returning back to a body he no longer wanted was unbelievably discomfiting. When he looked around the table, he was unsurprised to see the concern lacing most of the expressions. Of course, the only one that didn't seem at all concern was Heero.

"If you cannot even pay attention for a debriefing, maybe it's time you retire Chang." The tone used was sharp and unforgiving. Cobalt blue eyes narrowed at Wufei. Quatre scowled lightly at Heero while Trowa and Duo simply looked on, interested in seeing how the explosion would occur.

"_Too bad, they won't be getting any. But even then, this is all I have left. . Am I even unwanted here?"_

"I apologize. It won't happen again."

Even his own words sounded tired and wispy; it was as if the softest of the winds could have blown his voice away. Perhaps it could have blown him away just as easily. Gods know when was the last time he even had an appetite or acted on it. Silently, Wufei lowered his head to stare down at the table's edge right before him. No one else except him had missed the flash of confusion that appeared on Heero's face. The debriefing continued after a few seconds of contemplative silence. This time, Wufei made sure to keep both ears open on the conversation.

"Is this one of the enter, infiltrate, and leave missions?" Quatre was quite fine with the idea but if things were to be rushed, things had to be planned accordingly. Quatre was second to Heero when it came to mission time's neatness and paranoia.

"The information we are looking for is far too deep into the system for a one-time infiltration." That was Heero, pulling up what seems to be a spreadsheet of information about the mission on his laptop.

"What should we do then?" Trowa, this time. While the quiet man was better at inflitration missions, he had only a comparative advantage when it came to solo inflitration missions.

"I say we go in using code IATACC!" Duo's voice matched his words, joyous and spirited with a large dose of mischievousness.

"Code. .what?"

"**I**nfiltrate **A**s **T**eachers and **C**ause **C**haos!"

The conversation came to a still, all pairs of eyes excluding Heero's and Wufei's staring pointedly at Duo. Though Wufei was also tempted to look, if only to steal a few snapshots for the darker nights, he knew it would be far too awkward with Heero so close. In response of the turning heads, the braided man simply blinked before pouting. He crossed his arms and glared at them half-heartedly.

"Hey I know that look!" he cried out, "Woah!" One hand moved to swat at something invisible in the air which caused the man to sway slightly on his chair. Everyone moved almost as if they were a whole being; hands were already stretching out to grab a flailing leg or even the long auburn braid when it was obvious gravity was calling.

In the end, it was rather obvious only Heero was needed. A strong push against the chair had Duo slamming back forward onto the table. Luckily, he planted both hands on the table which allowed him to avoid a rather painful face plant. The American gave Heero a rather sulky glare, though the heat behing violet hues were weak. Heero simply shrugged and snorted. The table as one, minus Heero and Duo, gave a soft sigh at the two's antics.

Wufei stayed quiet, eyes flicking and staying down to where his hands had gripped the hem of his simple black embroided shirt. The knuckles were white with strain and silently, he relaxed his grip. The color slowly flushed back into his hands but the indents and the whiteness of his nails became a strange reminder.

Quatre sighed softly, hands lacing together on propped elbows while his mind mulled over the suggestion. Even if it seemed like a joke, some things that Duo said should not be taken so easily just like how certain phrases hint at a more serious subject. Being with everyone at the table for so long had given the Arabian quite a indepth understanding of how each person worked and thought. . .maybe.

"I don't think we can pass for teachers, Duo. Not even if we say we're the highest geniuses to get out of the best Sanc universities." Quatre shook his head, another soft sigh blowing out and tousling the slightly longer than usual blond bangs.

The room quieted, each thinking about their own respective ideas and suggestions. Something that would be natural, that would work for all of them –is there even such a thing? Surely there should be something that could be worked out between everyone. Since all five of the ex-gundam pilots had different personalities, backgrounds, and influences, they must all choose a position suitable for each of them but be open for communication between all.

"How about being students instead? We can all say we all originated from different places so if anyone asks, we can just make up things without worrying if we would blow someone else's cover." Trowa frowned lightly, just the downward tip of his lips.

"That sounds good," Heero nodded before standing up and taking his computer with him. "Prepare background information, name, and everything else you need before Sunrise tomorrow. We'll start shopping using Preventer's cards to get all the necessary things we need for this mission."

Sparks lit up in both Duo and Quatre's eyes. They turned to share a look with each other, knowing grins spreading brightly across both sweet faces. Wufei sighed softly, Heero grumbled under his breath, and Trowa smiled. Such a sight of two boys well past the age to be happy over such a childish things was quite amusing.

"That sounds good! Let's go, Quat! We need to make a list of things we need. Hee-chan, Fei Fei, Tro-man, you guys wanna join us for an info sleepover?"

There was a jumbled sound of agreements between those who had been asked. Except for Wufei of course. The Chinese man paused, hands already on the doorknob and mind already out the door. He blinked at the question, dark lashes hiding more than half of his eyes as Wufei turned his eyes downwards. The image he presented made the others wonder about his health. Wufei looked far too exhausted; like a child that was unsure of where to go and what to do. They waited, breaths caught.

Uncertain, Wufei choose to simply shrugged at them. When it looked like the physical half-hearted gesture was not enough to appease the concern and questions shining from the faces of his comrades, he simply stumbled out a quick excuse of tiredness and work before running up the stairs to where his room was.

The sound of the door slamming closed echoed throughout the small apartment. The rest of the group stood side by side, moving to give some silent support to the others. Duo sighed softly, hands moving to pet the limp end of his braid as he glanced longingly at the stairs where certain someone had ran away to.

Later on, it was obvious that the silence was heavy and tangible in one of the largest rooms the apartment held. All four boys that had agreed to stay up for the night to plan for the things that needed more thinking were accounted for. The fifth stayed in his own room and not a sound was able to heard from the inside. A sigh broke the morose quietness. All heads swiveled to look at Quatre who flushed lightly before shrugging helplessly. Duo, who could no longer stand the lack of conversation, cried out.

"Dammit, he didn't need to run away! It wasn't like we were gonna eat him or anything like that!" The heart-shaped face scowled, hands moving to clench and tug at the end of the braid conveniently closed in Duo's gathered lap. Heero sighed and yanked the poor abused piece of hair away from his partner.

Duo sent him a scathing glare, nimble fingers twitching to get it back. In the end, they stayed where they were -in his lap and away from his braid- though he laced them together in an effort to cease the urge to tug and rip something apart. A slim pale hand moved to give Duo's knee a few light pats. Quatre sent him a soft smile, speaking calmly though sadly.

"I don't think he intentionally ran away."

Duo rolled his eyes and shook his head vehemently, sending auburn bangs flying about before they settled back down.

"Quats, he ran up the stairs and locked himself in the minute he could. Tell me that isn't running away. Maybe I'll believe ya when pigs start flying and barking."

Heero rolled his eyes though the fact that his fingers had stopped typing away at his laptop's keyboard negated the idea that he did not at all have any concern with the topic of their fifth friend. When Duo mumbled under his breath something about how the Japanese had stopped paying attention to his computer, Heero simply scowled at him. Once upon a time, that would have been enough to shut everyone up including Duo.

But the war was over now. They were now just part of the working population -though underage but hey, pulling strings helped a lot!- that clocked in and clocked out. Usually, the job and the missions stayed at work but when something big happened, they would get together to work things out at their own time and pace.

_'I wish Wufei would at least join us once.'_ The sad thought wriggled its way into Heero's mind. He returned to typing out of necessity, grumbling about stubborn Chinese people. Trowa shook his head, amusement bright in his single visible eye. He, like Heero, was a man of action to a point where words became hard to use. He nudged the shorter but stockier man who grunted and nudged back. The attempt to cheer the Japanese man up was successful if the small smile on Heero's face was any indication.

It was the Quatre's giggling that brought both of them back to the present and away from their 'manlier' attempts of cheering each other up. The amused looks sent over to Trowa and Heero by the mischievous two were returned with a large dose of eyebrow arching. That sent Duo and Quatre into bursts of laughter.

And the end of their antics, all four of them had a small smile on their face. Duo, of course, had a full blown grin but he was _Duo_. That was normal. Finally, things could start. They began pointing out good ideas and suggestions for mission parameters. The room started filling with more bright faces, playful expressions, and a more joyous atmosphere. Things will get better, no doubt. They'll get Wufei to get out of his shell soon enough.

At the other room, Wufei was suffering from a bout of paranoia. When the introduction to the mission was finished, he had immediately ran up to his room. Both locks on the top and on the bottom were twisted harshly. The sound of something clicking into place allowed the man to finally take a deep breath. For a few minutes, only the sounds of harsh breaths and pants could be heard.

Once he had deemed it was safe enough to leave his spot near the door, Wufei edged toward the bed_. 'Light foot steps, soft footsteps, no footsteps. . .' _The thought whispered across his mind, trailing stubborn clinging fear and confusion. Looking back at what happened earlier, it seemed like almost everything that could go wrong went wrong. First, he had blanked out during the conversation causing Heero to criticize him harshly. Afterwards, he couldn't even give a good excuse to not join the four with their sleepover. They had no doubt watched him leave with a feeling of confusion.

Damn, he was really a fool if he thought he could make it all up later. With such a few stupid actions, a few moments of distraction and bad decisions, he had caused another rife between all of them.

"I wonder if I'm actually a masochist. There's no other explanation for my subconscious decisions to choose what I did. When am I going to learn?"

Inwardly, he knew he would probably never learn. After all, why even bother caring? Things can't be taken back. Used time was all sunk costs and such things were not expendable. They can't be taken back and reused. At the very least, it shows there are still some major lessons to be learned.

Maybe after everything, Wufei would have learned everything he needed to learn to move on. _'I don't believe you for one moment. .'_ The voice that had spoken sounded faintly of his deceased wife, Meiran. Wufei wondered if perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him. _'Am I so useless that now the only way for me to know what to do is to have the ghost of my wife tell me?'_

Meiran no doubt was probably cursing at his incompetence in the heavens.

"Gods, why me?"

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_; Review please?


	2. Just a Cup of Tea

Chapter 2

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The chattering from the other room slowly lowered in levels, allowing a soft hum and a few whisper-like sentences rather than loud chuckles and bright laughter to make through the thin bare walls separating Wufei's room and the rest of the world. The sound, or the lack of sounds, was a blessing and a curse to the quiet lonely man hiding in swathes of blankets and covers on his bed. The quiet calmness and sweet feel of 'home sweet home' only seemed to show that the four boys no longer remembered or cared about the fifth hiding away. Of course, Wufei understood them to a point. He didn't hate them nor feel any harsh feelings against them for wanting to forget him. What's the point in worrying over a social recluse anyways?

He wasn't sure such if such thoughts were meant to make his heart throb painfully and mouth dry up. Then again, he wasn't sure if the idea of being forgotten was suppose to bring a sense of peace and the deadening feel of a looming question to end everything. Either was not exactly desired in the first place but things were always confusing when a person just takes what is given to him rather than asking or desiring for something.

But such moments of coldness should be left to nights when he didn't have things to do. Was Wufei attempting to escape the recesses of his mind by working? Perhaps. Yet, things have always been this way. Work, work, work. It didn't matter if it was the piled paperwork of others or if it was his own. It didn't matter how dangerous the mission was or whether if it was a simple holdout. To Wufei, all it mattered was there was a sense of purpose. It may be temporary but it was a balm to his mind. Is some minute salvation too much for a man like him? Can he continue to live off his daily life, the second part of him, at Preventers?

He stood up, bare feet gingerly pressing down on the hard floor. The feeling of cold, whether it was the coming winter or the unending bitterness he kept finding in his mind, bit at him from the inside and the outside. Wufei looked down at his toes, stretching them for a moment then shrugged. They weren't red, weren't pale, but were cold. Was his mind playing tricks on him now?

Either way, it didn't matter. He pushed the chair next to his simple small work table aside. The cabinets in the table looked dry, wood splintered and gouged out in several places. A small slender hand moved to wrap fingers around the metal handle and slowly, Wufei pulled. The cabinets moved slowly, edges screeching slightly like how an old man with arthritis would groan quietly about his back while walking. Reaching in, he pulled out several notebooks. Most were well-worn with yellow edges to the papers. The covers of the notebooks did not vary at all. In fact, all of them were the simple shade of black. Without turning the front cover away, no one would be able to tell the difference with each notebook. Wufei found himself no different.

He sat down on the edge of his bed, feet firmly planted on the floor. It took a moment for him to realize it was rather uncomfortable with the cold biting at his toes. He moved inwards, tugging the blankets around him after finding a comfortable position. Legs crossed in the average meditating position, he put the three black notebooks on his knee. They balanced precariously. With each shuffle to push the blankets this way and that way, the notebooks tilted left and right. Wufei thought it was rather interesting. If anything, it could be used to as an extended metaphor on his life. Everything was constantly tilting with the balance between wanting survival and wanting a peaceful finish. All it needed was just a small shuffle for everything to go falling one side or another.

And he did just that, moving his knees slightly. If anything, it was to humor himself. If the metaphor continued, then it would be like watching his life fall to pieces right before his eyes. To his amazement, rather than tilting completely to the right or the left of his knee, the notebooks slid backwards. They settled comfortably in his lap. No movement, obviously, was going to shake them or move them any further. For a moment in time, Wufei felt a jolt of shock. Could this be a sign that things might just get better in time?

No, he must be tired if he's finding parallels with his life and that of falling notebooks. Fingers trailed down the stitched spines lovingly before they moved to open the notebook. Plain paper with light thin black lines showing the separation of the first line to the second and third and so on meet his eyes. He uncapped a black pen and the hand gripping it tightly pressed itself on the blank page. It was unforgivingly blank and Wufei sighed.

He may be a scholar and a near bibliophile but he was definitely not someone who was a creative maker of stories. Perhaps retelling of past memories or histories but he was never one to make things up as he went. Ad-libbing was a tool for more interesting people. People like Duo. They were the ones who could use creativity to its full potential. The concept of imagination was useless to someone like Wufei who preferred to stick to the hard cold facts and the emotionless spews of information written or spoken into a form where inferior people would be able to understand. Knowledge was power and knowledge did not necessarily see creativity as an important aspect.

Perhaps now, he was finally learning how such thinking was more of a setback than a way to move on easily toward 'better' things. No doubt the others were already done with background information and filling out bits and parts of their future persona. Wufei, who had never found any need to create a different person for himself for any particular mission, found that his quiet scholar side thought it was a rather interesting process.

To create a persona, a different person or identity, meant that he was basically finding a new role to play. It seemed rather easy; hadn't he been playing different roles since he was born? However, the persona needed to fit into the basic requirements given in terms of the systems and roles it will be playing. It needed to be a good but still average student. The persona also needed to show the qualities that made a transfer student different from that of a student already involved in the institutes' environment from the beginning. There were more things that needed to be taken into account of: the persona's social ability, background history and effects on decisions and dialogue, culture, etc. Being a soldier, playing the part of a civilian or an enemy spy was easier than playing a student.

To play a student meant that he would be pretending to be someone who was innocent of most wrong doings. It would mean he would be someone who didn't have anything to do with the war since he was too young to be a part of it. It would also mean that Wufei would be pretending to be someone who had no idea how to kill someone with just a stab of his finger or how to survive a month in one of the most diseased parts of the colonies with just a hunting knife and several old maps.

He would be pretending to be someone he was not and never was. How could he? How could he pretend to be someone who cared nothing except about the daily changes and immediate results in tests, food, and games when all his life he worried about revenge, the amount of bullets needed to get through the plan, and whether or not he needed to worry about civilians during a holdout?

Wufei sighed, his free hand moving to rub at the bridge of his nose. The paper was still blank and the pen dripped ink from the tip. It left a blotch on the paper and disgusted, he scratched it out. Still, after he was done, nothing had changed and no ideas came. What would make this easier? What questions could he answer? Had he any idea of where to start?

"Perhaps I can begin with a name," he grumbled.

Something like Jamie or Chad would work. It was an average name by most standards. Not exactly Chinese but surely he could make do with a common Chinese last name. It would be rather stupid to pretend he wasn't his own race. If it weren't for his obvious sharp wispy accent, his looks would give him away. The point of making a persona was to prevent suspicion from coming on to them; acting as if he was pure something else would only bring more attention to how his name failed to fit his face.

If not Jaime or Chad, perhaps something like Brandon instead? Many of his co-workers, friends of Sally and acquaintances of his own, were mixed races themselves. Many of the Vietnamese had English or American names like Brandon, Tony, and Jeremy. The few Chinese he met had equally simple names like Michael or Jakes.

But Jakes and Chads didn't fit him. They were great names and were quite manly but there lies the problem. It fitted his desire to have a name that reflected his ability to fend for himself -it was like a need to fight against the image of being 'small' and 'weak' like a woman- but it was far _too_ manly. Chads and Jakes were the names of popular jocks. Chads and Jakes were the guys that were part of every circle, of very social system in the school. They were the nice guys, the cool guys, the cute guys. Wufei on the other hand was definitely on the other side of the spectrum. He was the loner, the one with the anti-social personality; Wufei wanted a name that could. . .would fit him if he was going to use it and refer to it as his own until the end of the mission.

What name would fit him? It should have a sense of both cultures. He, despite being a firm believer in keeping the traditions of his own, had no doubt been influenced by his European comrades. Living with them for so long made being influenced inevitable.

Brandon. Brandon Chang. That, he thought to himself, could work quite well.

It was a name that had a taste of both American and Asian descent. It wasn't too strange and it was definitely a name he could envision himself with. Closing his eyes for a moment, Wufei could imagine himself in a classroom or in the hallway with study partners and teachers calling him using the name Brandon. He could see himself replying in ways he never thought he could before. Yes, he could see himself with this new persona.

"Brandon Chang," he worded it out slowly. It rolled off his tongue slowly. It felt good. Vaguely he remembered the fraying edges of a memory. He had been meeting a few new agents a few months ago with Sally. It had been required for a mission and Preventers always did prefer communication over silence. In his own opinion, Wufei thought it was really just the subtle pushing from Queen Relena for peace and her constant reminder that if the colonies communicated better, things would have been quite different. Either way, meeting the new agents was just as a requirement as clocking in at six am and clocking out at 6 pm.

One of the new agents he had met had introduced himself as one "Brandon Li". He had felt a bit of interest seconds later. While L5 had been a colony that were mostly pure blooded self-righteous people, so to speak, there had been many who emigrated to different colonies out of pure interest, curiosity, or deference. It would only make sense if the emigrants made friends and therefore, families as well. Yet it was the first time Wufei met someone who shared something like blood with him after Sally and the destruction of his home.

The look on Brandon's face after Wufei introduced himself was priceless and it made him express a small smile. It was a rarity and Wufei wondered what was it about meeting someone who shared something so little like an ounce of the same blood that made him do it. He had already long decided by then that he would cast away the feelings from inside himself. It was simply easier to live that way. And yet, something as unprecedented like meeting someone new for a mission just as easily sent a crack through his resolutions.

The mission went fine. Wufei could even say it went great according to several standards. No one was hurt and the bombs were diffused in record time. Everyone was surprised including Wufei himself. When everyone got back to headquarters to celebrate a job well done, Wufei had automatically moved toward his small office near the end of the hallway. Before he managed to open the door, he was tugged backward. He turned slowly though his body tensed up immediately. When he saw Brandon's face, slightly bruised and scratched but otherwise glowing with happiness, he relaxed.

"Hey," Brandon grinned. Wufei smiled slowly. "Hey," he replied.

"Just wanted to tell you that if it weren't for you, all of us would be flipping our shit over the mission."

Wufei had shrugged lightly then, finding the praise slightly uncomfortable. He was used to the words and the melodic tones of people kissing up to him as most of them were often hoping for him to say a good word about them to Une which might lead up to a quick promotion. Wufei ruined all their hopes and dreams about a quick rise through the corporate ladder with a sharp glare but it never did stop anyone from trying a few days later. To hear someone speak of him so highly to his face so honestly was strange but somewhat welcomed. It reminded him somewhat of an elderly pair of faces with sweet worry lines and soft loving eyes.

The Oriental man shook his head slightly before returning his attention to the Brandon.

"If you are just thanking me, it's fine. It wasn't that big of a deal," Wufei curtly replied. The words were sharp and blunt but one could say the same about the man who spoke them.

Then Brandon let out a cheerful burst of laughter before shaking his head in mirth. He gave Wufei a friendly pat on the back. It seemed like Wufei had no idea what the inside joke was and he wasn't quite sure if the effort to question and find out would be worth the result and the time needed to do so. He simply shrugged inwardly and waited for Brandon to stop laughing.

"Sorry! I seriously thought you were joking with me but you're not, are you? You seriously think it wasn't that big of deal. . .huh?" Brandon shook his head slightly, grin still bright on his expression. Wufei scowled and arched a brow, huffing softly while crossing his arms.

"It _isn't_ a big deal."

Brandon had sighed softly, breath coming out in a soft exhale.

"It is though, or at least to us fresh agents. I seriously thought I was going to have a panic attack during the time when we were crawling behind the crates while eavesdropping on the terrorists. I'm going to have nightmares for a while."

Wufei had rolled his eyes. "You get used to it."

"Haha, I will if I want to stay in this trade. Either way, you surprised me. I seriously thought the mission would go wrong."

Then, Wufei frowned. The parameters were fine and everything was planned out meticulously before the actual start and infiltration. In fact, everything was put into statistics and several predictions were made. Based on those predictions, choices were made and warnings put out. There were several plan Bs and even a single last plan C in case all things went to hell. It was an easy mission, regardless of all the planning, and to hear someone especially a newcomer believe it would all go wrong was highly disconcerting. Usually, most fresh agents were excited at the prospect of training and learning at the same time.

"What do you mean?"

Brandon had held both hands up in the universal form -or more like the American form- of peace and 'no harm meant!'.

"I just mean that it's kind of weird. No offense but you're small. Smaller than Elena and even smaller with Nick. The girls were wondering whether or not you were forced into this job or if you pulled strings. They don't _mean_ anything mean by it but you gotta admit that people your size usually can't be found in places where hand-to-hand combat was the norm."

Elena had been one of the girls part of the 'fresh' team and her file was stating she was at a height of 5'4''. Nick was the youngest of the team, closest to Wufei's real age, and also the smallest of all the males. He was 5'6''. Wufei winced lightly. He didn't like to be reminded that he was going to be short all his life. Call it genes, call it evolution, call it stupidity when his great-great-great grandfather decided to marry his sister. His father, reaching a height of a short 5'2'' had married his mother who was 5'5''. He had hoped he would follow in her footsteps. Fate seemed to be telling him the exact opposite. Life was so damn cruel.

That time, Wufei had let his unhappiness show at his face. It is true that the world wasn't fair. By all means, it made sense that people found him strange. Most of the bodyguards and agents, even the female ones, were around or above 5'5''. In fact, the other four Gundam pilots had already reached or passed that point. The ones at the front of the race were Heero and Trowa. Their bodies had became longer, stockier, but still held just a tiny bit of lankiness. Quatre and Duo were still growing but had mainly gained leg and torso length. And Wufei? Why, he never grew a single inch.

No wonder he was always the strange one.

"It's alright. It's normal to be surprised at my height."

Brandon scratched at the back of his neck, head tilting to the side lightly.

"If it helps, you really are good at what you do. You got the stealth and grace of a preying panther."

Wufei arched a brow before offering a wry smile. "You sound like you enjoy poetry or books."

Brandon's face lit up and he had began to nod energetically. "Oh definitely! I always liked the ones that were filled with metaphors and similes. You got to admit that finding parallel situations with yourself and nature or something equally amazing is a good feeling."

Wufei nodded in agreement.

"Do you like reading too?" Brandon asked curiously. Wufei chuckled and nodded in affirmation again.

"I have a little library of my own in the corners of my apartment. It's filled with mainly philosophy and ethics rather than literature though."

Brandon nodded thoughtfully. But just as he was about to speak, the sound of a phone ringing noisily against the tight cover of the agent's black fatigues interrupted him. He winced and gave a slight shrug to Wufei. It was probably the leader of Brandon's new team. Wufei's job had ended after showing them the works and a live demonstration of how a mission should go, would go. Promoted now, the team including Brandon was now working independently with their _true_ leader.

"Alright. I'll be there in a minute! Thanks for the head's up!" Brandon closed his cellphone before grinning sheepishly at Wufei. "Sorry, but I have to go. It looks like we got booked for a mission in Australia."

Wufei nodded curtly but stayed silent. Brandon had watched him, waiting and looking for something. He might have found something or he might not but Brandon had then simply taken a step back. When Wufei glanced to his face again, the Gundam pilot had noticed a strange expression; Brandon looked transfixed and there was a small but very bright smile on his face.

"I. . .have this feeling I won't be seeing you after this but I just wanted to say thanks for everything. Good luck!"

And then Brandon had left, feet trumpeting down the hallways. Wufei then had wondered how a single man could sound like a herd of elephants. Now, he wondered if Brandon had foreseen his own future. It was only a few weeks later that Wufei heard Brandon and his team had perished in the hands of a tyrant ruler. They had been trying to save a group of hostages but were killed before they could get out of the area themselves. Wufei had felt a strange sense of loss but he put it at the back of his mind.

Agents die every day and no doubt, he would be meeting his own death the same way as many others have.

Wufei sighed and scrawled down the name on the open notebook page. The sound of birds tweeting loudly made him turn toward the open window and he blinked, surprised at the color of a blooming red and blue sky. Had time passed by so quickly? Wufei continued to stare out the window, relaxing under the vision of mixed colors; for once, he was able to actually enjoy the sight of a new day. It was a rarity and one that he will treasure.

He turned back to the notebook before closing it. He will be Brandon Chang starting in a few days. His background would be generically simple. When asked, Wufei would say he is a son of a well-to-do family from China and he was sent to this school as an international transfer student because of the good education they offer. His likes and dislikes would stay the same; he liked sweet foods and jogging but he hated dogs and small rat-like animals. What else did he have to say?

Rather happy that at least he had done _some_ thinking –though most of it was reminiscing about strange old days- on his part, Wufei decided it was high time to make his way down to the kitchen for a nice cup of tea. The others, from the silence permeating the household, were still asleep and that was good news for Wufei. Uncomfortable as he was in their presence, when they were all sleep-deprived or just cranky from being woken up would push his limits.

As selfish as it sounded, he didn't want to be just another way for them to relieve their stress. They might not mean it at the time but Wufei still did not want to be that convenient object.

Footsteps, soft footsteps, soft like nice and soft like a shinobi. Wufei tip toed down the wooden floors, taking extreme great care to not make a sound or to step on the areas that he knew from memory creaked and squeaked. Just as he was about to pass the hallway leading to the where the others were sleeping, the door opened. Wufei stopped, body tensing as he froze reflexively. A slow twist of his head to the side resulted in a vision filled with green, red, and a very tall body.

'_Trowa? What is he doing up so early?'_ The auburn-haired man was usually the last to wake up, Quatre being the second last. The two were usually inseparable by Wufei's standards so what could prompt the Heavyarms' pilot to wake up?

"Wufei?" The soft whisper of his name from Trowa lips made the Chinese man jolt slightly. Just slightly. Trowa arched a slim brow and even Wufei could see it lift in the mix of light and darkness of his surroundings.

" . .Yes?"

It seemed to be the only option he had. Not answering would be considered rude and highly unorthodox even in his own terms. Wufei might not been able to say 'hello' back or 'why are you up?' because he felt it was far too out of his bubble of personal rights but a question of 'what do you want?' was fine.

The ex-clown and pilot smiled wryly before taking the steps out of the room. The door closed behind him and Wufei stared at the man warily. Really, what in _Sanc_ does he _want_? It wasn't as if Wufei was extremely loud on the way down and he made it a special mission to stay as invisible as possible in his room.

"You don't have to be so guarded with us you know." Trowa spoke with a tone that eluded a sense of sadness but not enough to suffocate Wufei. The Heavyarms pilot moved closer to Wufei and soon enough was standing a mere few inches away. Wufei, by that time, had already forced his body to relax but the wariness stayed.

The Chinese man may be more submissive when everyone else was in the same room as him but if it was just one person or even two of the pilots, Wufei did not sense the need to stifle himself into a speck of nothing. _'I must be losing my mind. What's the difference between being near one and being near four?' _

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Wufei moved down, face determinedly staring straight rather than behind him where Trowa was. He heard the man sigh and Wufei bit his lip. Moodily, he entered the kitchen –never minding the soft padding of feet behind- and grumbled to himself. _'I can't even get a cup of tea without someone staring at me now a days.'_

"Do you want to drink oolong tea today or your medicinal one?"

Wufei jolted out of his thoughts and turned to face Trowa. The look of surprise must have been rather obvious on his face because Trowa had chuckled to himself before reaching into the cabinet near him to pull out Wufei's favorite two teas. Wufei himself was by the sink, already filling up a kettle with quite a bit of water. When he didn't respond, Trowa simply crossed his arms and leaned back against the kitchen's side table with a small amused smile. Wufei blushed before twisting the knob to the faucet off.

There was a small embarrassed scowl on Wufei's face when he put the kettle to boil. Back still turned, he answered the question.

"Medicinal. I'm going to need it."

There was the sound of shuffling and plastic wrap ripping from behind and Wufei could see in his mind Trowa meticulously with his long artistic fingers preparing Wufei's cup and tea. Inwardly, he found himself confused. Why was Trowa doing this?

"If you're wondering why I'm doing this, don't." Wufei's eyes widen in surprise and he thanked the gods that Trowa could not see him since his back was still facing the man. The sound of Trowa pulling out one of the seats from the middle kitchen's dining table echoed in the otherwise quiet room. Wufei watched the kettle bubble and spit out small wisps of smoke.

"What makes you think I was wondering that? I could be wondering how I was going to successfully shank you for all you know."

The kettle boiled, whistling a sharp tune into the air. Wufei pulled it off first, stopping the kettle's unpleasant song, before turning off the gas stove. Hot water ready, he moved to the table where his favorite cup was sitting. A packet of his medicinal tea was waiting inside the ceramic container. Wufei turned curious eyes to Trowa who sat in his own seat, hands cradling a wide sea green mug. From where Wufei was, he could see the small pointed end of a tea packet peeking out from inside the mug.

Quietly, Wufei poured hot water into his cup, making sure not to spill any. When Trowa looked like he was going to extend a hand for the kettle, Wufei simply moved to his side. Trowa startled but also curious to see what happened next, simply waited. Wufei poured more hot water into Trowa's cup. He made sure not to touch any of the other man's hands when pouring. His reason for being extra careful was that burning Trowa would only result in more problems for Wufei rather than he cared for the man. Because he didn't care.

Once both cups were filled, Wufei put the kettle in the sink. He sat down in his seat, immediately wrapping his own hands around his ceramic tea cup. The warmth from the cup warmed him and Wufei let out a soft happy sigh.

"If you were cold, you could have said so. We could turn up the heat."

That's right. Trowa was still here. Wufei had almost forgotten. Dark eyes turned to meet with a single green orb. Wufei looked away quickly and frowned lightly to himself. He was not used to sharing this time of day –or any time of day actually- to anyone else. Trowa, who always seemed to so quiet, was now the more talkative one out of both of them.

"…It's fine. I don't really mind it."

Wufei sipped at his tea. Trowa nodded though the action was more to himself than to Wufei. An amiable silence followed the two into warm bliss. It was true, the house was cold but Wufei was used to it. There was no need to bother the others and increase the heating bill just because he was slightly uncomfortable.

"Have you decided on your new name?"

'_Is it just me or is he trying to keep a conversation going?'_ Wufei put the cup down and moved to openly stare at the man sitting next to him. Trowa smirked back before sipping at his own tea. Wufei could now smell the well rounded scent of fruit. There was a bit of a lemony smell. Citrus tea.

"Brandon Chang." Trowa nodded, as if he approved of the name. "It's a nice name. It fits you."

Wufei nodded slowly before offering a small smile to the man. "I think so too." He rubbed at the edge of his tea cup. "Have you picked a name of your own?"

Trowa smiled brightly before nodding. He pulled the mug of wild blossom orange tea back to his lips. He took a sip before replying.

"I did. Triton Barton. Duo laughed at me for picking a name that rhymed with my last name but I thought it made sense. 03, Triton, Tri."

"It's a good name. I . .like it if it matters."

Trowa's smile grew. "You always matter, Wufei."

Wufei arched a slight brow in an act of confusion and cockiness. However, despite his outward appearance of his lack of care, inside the Chinese man was a swirl of questions. First, he had not expected such a response from the Heavyarms pilot. Second, he was surprised at himself for finding Trowa's company rather pleasant. Third, it almost seems as if Trowa _cared_. It made a bit of the rotting bits of Wufei shake themselves off before sprouting a new seed of. . .hope. There were slight butterflies in his stomach and the Chinese man did not understand why. He had thought he had already given up all sense of hope. Why now after so many months? Why Trowa?

All in all, he wondered why this moment of companionship was extra sweet. The sweet moment continued for a few minutes which turned into an hour. The two chatted about random things like what Brandon Chang's hobbies would be and which club Triton would apply to. Wufei open himself up just a tad bit, letting go of some of the solemn feeling that followed him in the morning. Trowa scooted closer once in a while until the two were literally sitting next to each other with only a few inches apart.

The now comfortable silence enveloped the two but Trowa had something to say. Wufei waited patiently, stealing glances every so often from the corner of his eye. Trowa seemed to hesistate for a moment before he leaned forward, one hand moving as if to grasp that of Wufei's. Wufei- stilled from half curiosity, half unfathomable fear- watched from under his eyelashes.

"Wufei. . .I need you to know that I-"

"Trowa? Is that you?"

Trowa jumped back, emerald eye wide and unsure before they calm down the next instant. Wufei's head snapped over to where the voice was coming from: the entrance to the kitchen. Quatre poked his head in moment's later, one pale moving rubbing at the corner of a blue eye. There was a smile on the blond's face when he saw Trowa but immediately after noticing that Trowa was not _alone_ but with Wufei, the smile turned into a confused frown.

Wufei, once again uncomfortable with the atmosphere, stood up and brought his cup to the sink to distract himself and evidently, distance himself from the two. Quatre and Trowa stayed quiet and Wufei could almost taste the growing tension between the two. He fumbled with his cup, washing it repeatedly as if it was the only excuse he had to stay on his side of the kitchen. _'Why does it feel like something had just happened? As if I had just done something. . .like an affair?'_

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AN: x_x; Hi guys. 3 thanks so much for the reviews. I'm glad that I was able to show Wufei's emotions both subtly and explicitly. Here's the second chapter. + A +;; I'm still looking for a beta [for grammar] if anyone is willing to help out. 3 I have internet cookies?


	3. Post Derelect

Post-Derelect

February 8, 2011

A Soldier's Homecoming

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The warmth in the room resulting from the comfy atmosphere from the early conversation with tea did not disperse despite the slight breeze of icy coldness coming from Trowa and Quatre. Wufei, once his hands was no longer busy with washing and drying the dishes, quickly moved out of the kitchen and to the living room. No need to bother himself or others by nosing into their problems. It may have been unintentional but a simple sense of possible threat may be the only thing needed to sever the rest of the connection in the group.

Wufei may have given up due to being plagued with depressing thoughts and a downhill escalation of emotions but even _he_ didn't think he was ready for it yet. He spent many of his nights and days dreaming, imagining of the moment in time where he would wake up and finally be truly left alone. He had thought he had been prepared for such a thing. Alas, reality does not match up well with ideal situations or thoughts. No, he was not ready yet.

And so, he found himself busying his hands with some cleaning here and there, a small thoughtful frown etched into his expression. Once in a while as he dusted the shelves and plumped up the pillows on the couch, the Chinese man could hear the soft chattering of the Heavyarms and Sandrock pilot. The whispers did not contain the heat that would signal an argument in the making but they did not hold the soft calming tones of close friends talking to each other either.

What had happened between the two? What did Quatre think he stumbled onto when the blond entered the kitchen to find Trowa and Wufei chatting amiably? Was there something more to the two pilots' relationship than friendship? Wufei shook his head, sending locks of raven black flinging in all directions. It was alright to imagine or think about things he knew little to nothing about but assuming something with so little knowledge. . . that would be dangerous.

Wufei settled his slim petite figure on the couch, arms crossing and body slouching downwards. He stared at the blank television, completely empty of moving images. He could turn it on and drown out the voices from inside the kitchen or he can feign innocence but keep on listening. If he did the latter, would it be worth it? He didn't think so. If there wasn't an argument by the very end of the chatting, there would be when Quatre or Trowa –maybe even both!- came out to find him eavesdropping. It was not his business.

A lightly tan hand reached for the remote control and pressed the power button. Soon, a movie was playing on the screen and the lonesome Wufei simply let himself be distracted by the crying antagonist spewing out excuses and reasons for her decision to kill her best friend. When a body settled down beside him, Wufei never jumped out of his skin. But with the amount of control he had in himself, the man had simply snapped his head to the side, dark eyes wide and doe-like out of complete surprise. It was Heero with his simple amused but inquisitive expression that met Wufei's eyes.

There was awkward silence for a few moments before Wufei tinted a bright red and scowled, looking back at the screen; he was ashamed of being caught unawares. Heero, after deciding he wasn't going to be kicked away any time soon, shifted a bit here and there before turning to look at the television. Wufei scooted away, just slightly. Heero, whether he simply wasn't sure what he should do or say, pretended to be oblivious to the movement.

Wufei glanced to the door leading to the staircase up to the second floor. Duo had not joined them yet but there were no sounds. Was the braided man sleeping? It would be strange but not improbable. Cat naps were Duo's main hobby now a day.

"What are they arguing about?"

Wufei blinked before looking at Heero. The Japanese ex-soldier shrugged lightly before nodding his head to where the kitchen was.

"Did something happen?"

Suspicious of this sudden interest in the other two pilots, Wufei simply shrugged wordlessly to Heero. The Chinese man's mouth was pursed into a thin line of stubbornness; if Heero wanted to get into Trowa and Quatre's business, he should do his own dirty work to get information! Heero, amused by the sudden change in expression, tilted his head to the side. Dark blue eyes glittered with what may be satisfaction. Wufei looked away.

"At least you aren't shunning us anymore."

Wufei's face had cooled down back to its usual color moments ago but the sudden sensation of red hot cheeks quickly overtook all sense of control from the man. He ducked his head, shielding his face from the sight of the suddenly observant Heero.

"I wasn't shunning anyone," mumbled Wufei. Heero arched a slim brow. He waited a few more seconds to see if Wufei would say anymore more before grinning. "Yes, I guess you weren't." Unsure if that was meant to be sarcastic or truly taken at face point, Wufei sent Heero a look. The usually stoic man simply feigned ignorance, preferring to continue smirking to himself. The conversation ended at a good point. Trowa and Quatre had shuffled out of the kitchen moments later, eyes not meeting their own but only Heero's and Wufei's.

Trowa sat between Heero and the arm of the sofa. Quatre chose to take the single chair facing them from the side. Once comfortable, Quatre frowned; his blue eyes were of an unusual sheen of iciness. Wufei felt the sharp gaze glaring into him and there was an almost audible sound of Trowa growling. Wufei could imagine that the auburn-haired man was frowning deeply, causing a few wrinkles to appear at the top of his forehead. If the Shenlong pilot had the guts to look, he would have. The tension grew thicker before Wufei felt Heero bend forward.

From under his lashes, Wufei could see the Japanese man intertwine his fingers before resting his chin on them. Darker blue hues glared at both of them, the heat in the gaze immediately causing Quatre to look down and away while making Trowa regret his actions before regaining his normal sense of nonchalance and calmness.

Heero grumbled softly before speaking. "Well, since most of us are awake, why don't we plan our course?"

Wufei, unwilling to go back into that strange suffocating atmosphere, immediately agreed verbally.

"First, what academy are we actually transferring into?"

Trowa glanced to Wufei before smiling lightly. "We're transferring into Kaisai International School where we will be posing as juniors or seniors based on our respective ages."

Wufei arched a brow, inwardly frowning at the idea of posing as a younger student. He was, ultimately, 17 years old and had a personality far too old and uptight for his age. To pretend to be a younger student might make him stand out a bit too much. He may have withered in terms of many things but even when he felt as miserable as he is now, a few good presses to certain _buttons_ will always cause a bit of an explosion.

Dealing with young idiots might be the sure fire way to get him to do just that.

Heero, observant as usual, smirked lightly. "You'll fit well with the younger students." Wufei scowled visibly, brows furrowing. He opened his mouth to ask why. The question was halfway out when the door to the stairway up to the rooms slammed open and Duo walked in with a crass mid yawn. Trowa had not jumped since being the poster boy for infiltration mission usually left him at a point in which he was always listening for coming footsteps or soft whispers and noises.

Quatre, however, _did_ jump. Wufei gaped just lightly at the blond, dark brown hues slightly wide as he wondered what could have made the empath of the group so nervous. There were few thing s that could cause such jumpiness in Quatre and so far, most of it has something to do with his relationship with Trowa. Did the taller man say something? When he caught himself staring, Wufei frowned and looked away. If he had been caught by Quatre, perhaps another tense moment would come about. It was not something that Wufei wanted at the moment.

Heero snickered at his side but stopped when Duo sent him a look screaming '_What the hell happened here?'_ The Japanese man shrugged before flicking his eyes subtly in the direction of both Trowa and Quatre. The American nodded just lightly before arching a slim eyebrow and sending a bright grin toward a blushing and fidgeting Quatre.

When he checked how Trowa was doing, Duo made a quick note to himself to interrogate his dear blond friend later. For now, he'll just have to make do with the conversation. The braided man quickly squeezed himself in between Heero and Wufei , sending both of them a mischievous look. Wufei kept his head down but moved closer to his end of the sofa, allowing more room between Duo and himself. Heero simply sent Duo one of his mild patented death glares.

Heero wasn't quite sure why he was annoyed at this sudden intrusion of space –as this has happened multiple times beforehand even during wartime– but perhaps it was the fact that he had been interrupted so many times when he was attempting to talk to Wufei that his limit of tolerance had been reached. He scowled before leaning back against the sofa, arms crossed across his chest.

"Three of us will be juniors and the other two seniors."

"Why?"

And that was Quatre's voice. Three heads turned toward the blond who pursed his lips in a show of slight irritation. He shrugged. "It is a legitimate question. Why?"

It was Trowa who answered, his voice clipped into painful politeness as if he was speaking to a mere acquaintance rather than who Wufei had assumed to be his lover.

"It's because of the differences in programs available. We don't know our target but we know that he enjoys a variety of subjects so he won't be taking just English or Business. We need to get into all the major programs to increase our possibilities in engaging with the target. The minor subjects can be taken up using the free blocks that is allotted to each student."

"And the programs have certain requirements; _age_ requirements," added Heero.

Quatre blinked and nodded quietly before seemingly closing himself in his own thoughts. Duo spoke up next, his right hand dramatically shoved into the air causing the nearby Wufei to nearly get whacked by a mere inch or two.

"So who is gonna be a junior? I'll vote myself into the group 'cause seniors need to be role models and all that other no-fun stuff. Gives me no time to prank, you know? Gotta annoy the teachers and all that!"

Wufei sighed. "I'm more interested in some information about the school and the programs they offer. What are the junior programs? Why are you so sure that our target is a _man_? And where _is_ Kaisai International School anyways?"

"What? You can't do your own research? Why do you always ask such basic questions and bother other people?"

Wufei jolted back, blinking at Quatre who sneered at him from his seat across the room. Had the blond truly said those words with such a tone of hate? But why? Wufei felt a rush of adrenaline, a disgusting sloppy mix of anger and horror at Quatre along with an acrid disgust for himself. He bit the inside of his mouth, tasting blood.

"Wufei, maybe you should go to your room for a while." Duo sounded distant, perhaps even resentful. Why? What had he done this time?

"No. _Quatre_ should go to his room and _cool his head_ since he is obviously lacking a sense of tact." Duo and Quatre snapped to Trowa who had stood up, glowering at the blond with swirling anger. Quatre looked reprimanded and fidgeted with the ends of his shirt, glancing anywhere but where Trowa was. Duo had also stood up, fists clenched and jaw tight.

"What the hell man?"

Trowa snarled at him, face twisted in a visible display of the turmoil within him. It was obvious that something had snapped in the auburn haired man and the anger needed to come out. Quatre had given him an unintentional opportunity to do so.

"Wufei asked a few questions. I don't recall it being _stupid_ or _bothersome_ because that's what a team is _for_. I won't stand up for someone who projects his anger onto other people, thinking it is perfectly fine to do so! If you're so eager to stand up for him, maybe _you_ should leave too."

"You asshole!"

Trowa turned away from Duo, taking a few steps toward where Quatre was. He stopped a mere feet away before speaking slowly as if to a spoiled child who needed a reality check.

"Don't you _dare_ bring in other people in our problems. I ignored the fact that you prioritized your company and your sisters over our relationship. If you have a problem with me prioritizing my friendship and my sister over your spoiled ass, then bring it up with me. Leave Wufei and Heero alone."

"Trowa you bas—"

This time, it was Heero who stood up, grabbing Duo back from what seems to his moment before pummeling the crap out of Trowa. He squeezed the American's shoulder tightly, causing Duo to wince and still at his spot. Violet eyes burned at Heero who ignored it easily.

"Duo, go with Quatre to his room."

"Heero, what the fuck are you—"

"You don't want to do this right now."

Duo moved to smack Heero's hand away, braid flinging to the side. He frowned angrily before crossing his arms, eyes narrowed into thin purple slits. Duo sneered.

"And what makes you think you know me that well? Huh, soldier boy?"

Heero waited for a moment, ignoring the growing sting on his hand where he had been slapped. Instead, he stared down the American man. When it didn't seem to be working, Heero shrugged.

"Maybe I don't. I had thought you were someone who cared about his _friends_ but perhaps I am wrong."

Duo scowled, feeling Heero's words hit home. He hissed out his displeasure before grabbing Quatre non too gently and dragging the other boy out of the room. The door slammed shut with a definite bang while bits of the dusty white ceiling came fluttering downwards. Wufei slumped over in his spot with a soft sigh, fingers clenching together in his lap. Everywhere he went, things always went wrong. Maybe being a part of a team planning to infiltrate into a school of a thousand or so might not be too good of an idea. It was only when hands landed by his side, grasping and gently unfolding his own clenched ones, that Wufei looked up. Trowa smiled gently at him.

"It wasn't your fault. Quatre and I had an argument inside and things just got out of hand emotionally. Give him a few hours." Trowa gave a pat to Wufei's hand before moving to take the seat that Duo had previously given up. Heero sighed loudly before sitting down, putting his feet on the table. He scratched his head.

"Well, let's just get on with what we were saying."

Trowa looked to Heero amused before nodding. It wouldn't make sense to not continue the previous conversation sans temper explosions.

"Anyways. You asked where Kaisai was. It's at the very middle of modern Japan. It's known to be one of the best private schools for students planning to work internationally so it's popular for foreigners as well. It makes it easier for us to make an excuse for why Quatre or someone like Duo is at a Japanese school."

Trowa also began pointing out a few other things, answering and expanding a bit on the rest of Wufei's questions.

"We also know our target is male because the school itself is male-only academy. The information given from Preventers tells us that our target is specifically related to one of the files on student disappearances though nothing else is given." Trowa shook his head slightly, wondering about the depth of knowledge that Preventers had. It was strange for Une to ask them to take a case in which little information was available. However, it seemed that the case itself was on high priority _because_ there was little information but a great amount of risks.

"However, no proof had been brought to the case so nothing can be done about back then. In fact, it seemed almost as if all the photos of the incident to the target's real name and picture had been destroyed a year or two back."

Wufei nodded slowly, absorbing the information. So they were basically out to not only capture the target themselves if necessary but also gather information about the previous cold case and possible recent ones that had been put away to the duster. He glanced to Heero who nodded.

"Because we don't know who he is or what he looks like, we need to have everyone be in a different program and keep an eye out on any possible suspects that could be our target. Kaisai has five programs: English, Computer, Business, Art, and Music. I am going for Computer and Trowa is going for . . "

"Art."

Heero arched a brow to Wufei who sighed. "Duo would most likely go for Business and Quatre for Music so I'll take English."

The two taller men blinked and shared a look.

"Oh? What makes you think that?"

Trowa chuckled softly. "Why not Music for Duo and Business for Quatre? He _is_ the president of his own company and all."

Wufei rolled his eyes.

"Exactly. Too obvious. He would need to hide away his dealings in the business world so where better than in the music department? And Duo enjoys talking so he'll go for Business." Heero and Trowa chuckled softly causing Wufei to frown. "What? Can you imagine either of them going for something that requires them to actually work write and read all day?"

They shook their heads. Each looked off to the side as the conversation quieted down. Then Heero smirked, face brightening into an expression of utter amusement.

"So, I hope you will enjoy your time with the _juniors_ since English is a junior-only program."

Wufei scowled playfully back. At least with this Wufei would have a sense of normalcy. Perhaps even Quatre and Duo might join them later.

This mission might just save him after all.

* * *

Author's Note: Hey! This time, the chapter is a bit shorter than before. Chapter 4 is on the way. *-* Review?


	4. Art, Geeks, and Dorms

Art, Geeks, and Dorms  
April 29, 2011

The car ride to Kaisai was quiet. It was as quiet as the plane ride to Neo-Japan from the inner boundaries of Sanc's capital. As they boarded the extravagant tour bus waiting for them at the end of the exit, Wufei pondered about the tension that had gathered throughout the journey. Of course it wasn't necessarily his duty to break the tension or even fix anything but at the same time, it was strangely interesting to see it there. After all, what would have caused such a sudden break between Heero and Duo? For Trowa and Quatre, it was even more of a mystery.

Both pairs had been together for so long now it was quite awkward to see them act so coldly to each other. If he was asked to speak nothing but the truthful thoughts within him though, Wufei might find himself rather speechless and horrified by what he would say. It was all about his own innate selfishness. Even though Duo and Heero and Trowa and Quatre were no longer talking to each other –unless you called exchanging glares communication-, Heero and Trowa had kept him company. Wufei wanted to keep it, that sense of belonging and closeness to others. It might not be true –as what could _he_ offer them that Quatre and Duo could not offer?- but the feeling of being. . . _loved_ and _remembered_ was tempting. If Trowa and Heero made up with Duo and Quatre respectively, wouldn't that meant a lonely end for him all over again?

Was it worth it? Should he do something right? Justice doesn't exist and neither does human compassion but it would be cruel of him to pretend as if nothing had happened and it was fine if Heero and Trowa lost their lovers over some spat. Wufei shook his head and sighed, looking out the window to his side. Even though the trees were all passing so quickly, it was obvious that spring was already coming. The sprigs of leaves from various parts of the passing branches were a bright healthy leafy green. The small buds were finally growing, taking up space and pushing away the melting ice.

Springtime, Wufei thought, was just a thing for those with a need for sentimental things. Yes he was quite taken by the simplistic beauty passing by him. There was a soft sigh coming from behind him. Wufei turned slightly but found that the empty bus seats kept him from getting a view of who was the one sighing. He looked to the window and the reflection easily showed the choppy brown locks that could only belong to that of Heero. But why would Heero be sighing? Ah, the answer was quite clear.

There was only one reason why straight poker-face Heero would be sighing as only one person has manage to actually get into him and past the soldier mask. He must be thinking about Duo. Wufei turned to his right, peeking over the little gap the two seats had. There, he could see a bit of Duo. The braided American was slouched over in his seat, a simple baseball cap pulled down over his eyes. Even though he looked as if he was sleeping, the obvious tensed muscles and slight twitch every time the bus hit a bit of uneven ground proved that he was anything but relaxed and asleep. Wufei turned back to look at Heero. The Chinese man felt a twitch of sadness but also understood that he should do something.

Justice did not come with time. In order to have Justice or even to believe in it, one must be a man. To be a man, one must also take Justice into their own hands and consideration. He needed to help them. After all, it would be cruel to leave things as it is. Both Duo and Heero were stubborn individuals. Being stubborn may have helped them survive in the war but in terms of a relationship, stubbornness can hurt more than it can help. Meiran taught him that quite early in his life.

Wufei closed his eyes. He wondered about Trowa. Was the auburn-haired man also rethinking about his actions and the coldness at his side? Surely he must be worried about Quatre for the blond had not even bothered to look at him any more than needed. And though he wish to look over to see how Trowa was doing, the man was sitting too far in the back for him to do anything without making a show or a fool of himself. One brown hue open to glance to the front while Wufei moved to tilt his body to the side slightly. Quatre was sitting close to Duo and the blond's face was obviously in a state of uncertainty.

In other words, Quatre was moping. With Quatre so far away from Trowa, no doubt the Heavyarms' pilot was showing a similar downfallen expression like that of Heero's. There was a Chinese expression saying that one should not do onto others what one does not want done to them. Wufei knew how much it hurt to be alone and to know that there is very little in the future to look forward to and he was someone who was always shrouded in loneliness with many companions but few close enough to truly know him as he who he was.

It would be unfair for Heero and Trowa to have their own happiness taken away just because of Wufei's desire to get away from reality. "Alright boys, we are almost there! I am _so_ excited to know that we have interested and well-rounded students coming from overseas to Kaisai!"

This guy, Wufei thought to himself, was a bit flamboyant and happy. Did the school pay him for such a dumb energetic act?

Naturally, the bus came with a teacher or some sort of guide to Kaisai International Academy. So far the man hadn't said anything except the first 'hello, how are you, welcome'. To hear the man speak was a bit startling especially when Wufei had his heads up in some rather dark clouds. There was a sound of three claps and Wufei straightened up, looking to the front of the bus with a hint of curiosity. The guide or teacher was dressed simple with an oversized t-shirt etched with the words 'guide!' and slacks. He was, if Wufei was to assume it, their current link to inside information.

"While there are quite a few things that we might miss because of our limited time today, I am still sure you will all get a good tour of our school."

Everyone in the bus, other than the happy-go-lucky teacher, nodded without much energy. Trowa and Heero especially looked detached from the situation and already tired emotionally. Wufei sighed softly. If only there was some sort of way to get everyone back to normal. Even thinking logically, it was not a good idea to just pretend nothing had happened. This was a bad way to start a mission and no doubt, nothing good would come out of it if it continued.

"I'm afraid though," the guide continued without much a care in the world, "that we have to split everyone up into three groups."

As everyone absorbed the spoken information, things started changing. If the atmosphere from before had been a ice-cold winter snowstorm then the current atmosphere was that of a pit of hell. The change in expression of the five young men changed like lightning. Duo and Quatre immediately looked like a mix of enraged and disgruntlement. Heero had simply kept his gaze out the window and away from the front of the room.

This may actually be a rather good way to fix everything. Though, the questions would be how everyone would be split up. Would the five be specifically set apart or could they pick? Trowa spoke up from behind, thoughts in sync with that of Wufei.

"How will the groups be split?"

There was the sound of a few mumbles and whispers from the front specifically from where Duo and Quatre were. The whispers were along the lines of "why, do you have a problem with partnering with someone specific or something?" There was then a resounding grunt, louder than the whisper. Most likely, it was Duo vocalizing his pain from his blond seat partner's elbow digging into his side. Heero grumbled from behind Wufei and if Wufei really wanted to think about what the Japanese man was saying behind the single monosyllabic sound, he would say Heero was answering Duo's rhetorical question with an affirmative.

The guide looked uncertain for a moment, looking over the five heads in the various seats before him. Then he shrugged and snapped back into a mask of complete sunshine.

"Well, since we are all going to be in different programs –as the roster says!-, the school decided for this tour that you will all be separated by program choice and location."

Wufei nodded to himself thinking that it made sense. This would definitely mean that he was off by himself and that the other four would be split into two groups. "The Business and Computer majors will go together to tour the computer labs and hear a few introductions by the major companies Kaisai has contracts with."

Heero snorted.

"The Art and Music majors will be doing the same but taking the tour of the school's own museum and then the Art department. If I say so myself, the Art and Music department has a wonderful assembly of instruments and media for students to try and explore unlike many of the other academies."

The guide nodded to himself. "I'm afraid that since the English program has more specific guidelines to follow in terms of the projects, Mr. . .ah, Chang, will be by himself."

Wufei found nothing with the idea. After all, touring the school by himself would be much more pleasant than waiting around and simply staring off into space during a boring lecture or presentation. There was a specific reason why the Chinese man had chose to stay with the literature department rather than going toward one of the other subjects like art and music.

"But not to worry, Brandon! You will have your own guide and he will be a fellow senior in the same English program that you have decided on taking."

So it seemed that he wouldn't be alone after all. It was a bit of a disappointment since he really doubted he would enjoy himself with even the company of another student. He rather hoped to stay to the shadows during his time in Kaisai rather than in the spotlight. That was what the group had agreed altogether earlier though the words were themselves unspoken. Surely, no one would expect him to be taking a place in the 'popular' clique any time soon.

"Is there a particular reason why we cannot tour the school together as a single group? We _are_ going to be going through the same departments and major areas."

The last part was not a question but rather a statement. Heero's eyes flashed angrily at the guide and his lips thinned and tilted downwards into his uncanny but alas, still common frown.

The guide stumbled on his words, flustered by this idea that anyone would be against splitting up for a tour. Wufei heard the scoff from behind. The guide no doubt thought that all five of them did not know each other or if they did, were not together before coming into the school. The backgrounds sent to the all said that each of them had their own pasts from places that were quite far away. Luckily, the guide did not seem to be someone who was paranoid enough to ask for another check for Heero. But it would be best to ease the awkwardness a bit. Wufei didn't want to take the chance of something to go wrong.

"I think it is a good idea. If anything, this will allow us to get a wider idea of what will be offered to all of us." Wufei sighed before giving a light nod to the guide. The man nodded happily at the interruption. The bus moved to a slow, making it obvious that the group had arrived at their new home for the next few months.

"And we have arrived! Mr. Chang, your guide should be already waiting outside for you so please enjoy yourself!"

Wufei nodded quietly before picking up his backpack which was packed lightly with some things he couldn't trust to send over. The dark haired Preventer moved to get off the bus. However, when he dropped down, there was no guide before him. In fact, there was no one around at all. Heero's expression was akin to surprise when he left the bus and found himself staring at a rather confused looking Wufei.

"I thought you had a guide," the Japanese man spoke. There was a frown on his lips. Wufei shrugged lightly. "I had thought the same. Perhaps he is late or sick." Trowa jumped into the conversation, his own lips tilting downwards into an annoyed frown. "It shouldn't matter," the taller of the three shook his head before continuing, "There should have been a call before hand anyways. I think you should come with us."

Heero looked around, eying the bushes and the trees for any sign of hidden people. Duo and Quatre along with the guide on the bus sent all three of them a look but it was the guide who noticed the initial problem. "Where is Sanders? He's suppose to be here by now!" The guide shook his head and pulled out his phone to send a call to Sanders. The phone did not pick up and the second attempt at reaching the missing guide through the use of the academy's pager system was equally futile. The guide sighed.

"I'm sorry Mr. Chang. I'm afraid you might not be able to get your major specified tour today. You are always free to join us on our tour however."

Wufei shook his head with a small wry smile. If he _did_ join them, no doubt things would get worse. He had caused enough problems. The least he could do was let them work it out themselves. "I'll be alright. Please just tell me where my room and dorm is. I should be able to get there by myself," Wufei said. The guide looked rather uncomfortable with the idea of letting a new student wander about by himself but figured it couldn't be too bad. The guide then pointed to some of the smaller buildings hidden by a few groups of trees. One of the buildings was the shade of a bright blue. That, the guide said, would be Wufei's new home for the semester.

It didn't take long after for Wufei to be on his way, a key with the number "05" in his hand. The rest of the group however kept a dire atmosphere. Quatre kept glancing to Trowa who only looked at him once before turning his head away. Duo made a big effort to keep his eyes away from Heero. The Japanese man simply sulked, quietly demanding that the tour move on so he could get to his own room to set up his things.

The art department was filled various items like scenic books and brushes of all sizes. There was even a computer lab filled with the top computers and best programs in the arts. Trowa had been quite impressed and had nearly opted to stay in the section of the building a bit longer rather than follow the rest of the group to the music section. When they arrived at the large but richly decorated orchestra hall, Quatre gasped. His soft voice echoed slightly and the blond blushed. "This is one of the best buildings in the academy! It is made to be soundproofed from the outside but in the inside, no musical instrument would be lacking in richness when being played!" The guide gushed out the information like a geyser. The academy's of rare instruments and excellent cleaning equipment made even the distracted Duo stare.

As the group of five -including the guide- made their way out of the art building and department and toward the computer and business department, Duo found himself getting angrier at the fact that Heero had the _balls _to ignore him. It wasn't the braided man's fault in the first place since Wufei was the one who had caused problems between Quatre and Trowa. All Duo did was try to help by pointing out the problem. Sure, he might have said things a bit too bluntly and rudely but the truth was the truth. Was it _his_ fault if Wufei couldn't do himself a favor and grow a pair? The Deathscythe pilot scoffed before sending a glare at Heero.

But the man was far too busy staring at the computers to really care whether or not his boyfriend was angry at him or not. A callused hand moved to type in a few commands into one of the brand new computer. The system responded almost immediately making the Japanese man raise an eyebrow in appreciation. Not even his own laptop was as fast as the one before him. It made him wonder a bit about upgrading his favorite tool. Or perhaps when he left, Heero might be able to get a blueprint of the system so he could make on of his own.

Trowa sighed softly as he watched the ongoings on his friends. Ironically, while he felt pity for Heero, his own situation was not all too different. Trowa closed his single emerald eye, mind envisioning the future conversation he was going to have with Quatre if things escalated even more. It wasn't that he hated his blond friend and it wasn't as if their relationship was bad. While many others would say that a gay couple would never work out in the first place, Trowa believed that such things like the success of a relationship always depended on the couple. Society always had such back watered ways of thinking anyways, especially in regards to homosexuality.

So it wasn't society's fault or his friend's fault for Trowa's change in feelings. Like the famous phrase went, "It isn't you, it's me." Trowa simply didn't feel the _connection_ anymore. It was almost as if after Quatre and Trowa got together, things began changing. There was that honeymoon phrase where they felt like the only two in the world and life was extremely good. The happy dinner days and the sweet nights in which they spent hours just talking were one of his best memories. However, as soon as the honeymoon phrase passed, Trowa began to noticed a few things.

The relationship became less of a relationship and more of an obligation. There no longer were any nights in which the two spent talking. Instead, Quatre made an effort to point out that he was too busy for such things. Dinner was then always spent alone and the bed was always cold when he went to bed. The auburn haired man sighed softly to himself before opening his eye. At that moment, Quatre had turned to look at Trowa. The two meet gazes before each turned away, shame and uncertainty in both of their eyes. Yes, things had began changing, Trowa thought to himself.

When Quatre was busy, Trowa was always at home alone. When the blond _wasn't_ busy, it always seemed like things happened at the last minute. Recently, the main pattern dealt with Duo. Every time Duo had a fight with Heero or some small petty trouble - "Heero won't talk to me!"-, Quatre always stopped what he did and left. Even during the middle of the night, Quatre would get up and leave to comfort the American. It was then that Trowa steeled his resolve to end the relationship. He had been about to say something to Quatre when they got the mission from Une. Preventers always being on higher priority than personal problems, Trowa kept his mouth shut.

The group began to leave the computer labs to head toward the classrooms and lecture halls in which the Business majors would mainly be. Trowa watched Duo silently and then Quatre. He would be lying if he told someone that he never felt threatened by the braided man. Quatre and Duo were always closer than he was to Quatre. Even as lovers, things never seemed to work out. Even now, Quatre was next to Duo whispering comfort words and sending a bright smile. What did Heero think of this? Trowa didn't know and couldn't tell if he _wanted _ to know.

Well, the man thought to himself, things will change. Trowa was going to talk to Quatre soon enough when the time is right and when that happens, he was going to do himself a favor and end everything once and for all. Perhaps then he could start anew and search for someone who would be passionate always with him. The auburn man then thought of Wufei who no doubt was now in his dorm relaxing. The conversation then had been amazing and it had sent a surge of happiness and contentment in Trowa which he hadn't felt in a long time with Quatre.

Yes, perhaps things would work out right after all.

The tour ended quietly, all parties satisfied with what they see but confused and annoyed by their own individual problems. The guide had simply left after saying, "I hope the tour has served you all well! I hope to see you Triton, Hiiro, and Solo soon in classes!" Heero and Duo left for their rooms, a building or two away from Wufei. Trowa eyed his key, a nice ironic number of "3". Quatre had gotten a letter for one of the special rooms but Trowa's dorm seemed to be the same as Wufei's. Perhaps they would be roommates. The man sighed and kept on walking down the path, eyes locking on the bright blue building. The ride up the elevator toward his floor was quick. Trowa's heart began to beat a bit fast and the man flushed, feeling confused about his own heart.

It was a bit of a shock to him when the man found himself standing in front of a door with the number "05" instead of his "03". Soul numbed, the man knocked. A moment later, the door opened to reveal Wufei. They stared at each other for a second or two before both faces flushed pink.

". .May I come in?"

* * *

AN: Finally posting this chapter. I was originally going to stop posting until I could get it 'cleaned' for errors but I'm finding a hard time getting an editor or betaer. If anyone is interested, please feel free to send me a message through here! Oh, please review! It does give me a bit of an incentive to write when I see that readers are still interested in the plot! Once again, thanks for waiting! And thank you, darkpanthress for pointing the errors out! I'm very happy that you caught it.


	5. Late Night Thinking

Chapter 5: Late night thinking  
April 29, 2011

* * *

"Can I come in?"

Wufei blinked, cheeks still a light pink before he glanced around the man before him. There was no sign of Quatre or Duo or Heero. Trowa was all alone and outside of his new home. For some reason, Wufei was uncomfortable with the idea of having the taller man be inside his house with only him. But why? It wasn't as if he had a _crush_or anything on Barton.

"Of course."

Wufei pushed the door open wider and simply turned on his heel to head back to the bed. Most of his things were unpacked but the few boxes filled with other things like his books and his calligraphy books were still unorganized. Wufei shoved most of his things further inwards so the boxes were against the wall. The Chinese man moved to take a seat on the edge of his bed and motioned for Trowa to do the same or to sit wherever the man wanted. Trowa moved to sit awkwardly before Wufei on the floor.

They didn't say anything to each other but both felt as if something was going to happen. Wufei, not one to start a conversation, shuffled on his spot, eyes half lidded but ears open and waiting. Trowa being embarrassed of himself and confused could not find himself to speak for the first time. The atmosphere turned rather strangely awkward and tensed.

"Sorry. I just didn't feel like going back to an empty room again," the auburn haired male mumbled. A hand moved to scratch at the nape of a neck. Trowa looked up. Wufei had been surprised at Trowa's words. He understood the feelings of being lonely and of going back to a cold and empty space. He simply didn't think Trowa would be doing the same thing. He had Quatre after all or so that was what Wufei had thought. It seemed that he was wrong and the raven bit down on his lip.

"I understand. Feel free. . . to come here anytime."

Though it would no doubt be awkward, it would be crueler to say nothing or to say that Trowa should not come. Pain should not be given so freely and at such a time when his comrade and –dare he say it?- friend needed help, Wufei should do his best to offer what he could. Trowa let out a relieved sigh at Wufei's words. The taller of the two men felt his heart slow down though he could still feel the flutter within his chest. The butterflies were growing as well and though Trowa did not enjoy feeling out of character, he felt as if this was something he could not ignore.

The Heavyarms But what would Wufei say? Trowa wondered how he would ask. Well, did Wufei know about Quatre?

Would it be a good time to ask?

"Would you mind lending an ear for me?"

Wufei blinked and nodded. It was somewhat awkward if he was on the bed and looking down on Trowa if the man wanted to talk so he moved to sit right by the other man. He pulled his legs closer to himself, arms wrapping around his knees. He waited patiently to see what happened next. Trowa chuckled softly to himself inwardly, happy with the sudden feeling of closeness. Wufei was still a bit distant with him and the others but at how they were sitting now, the distance seemed like nothing. The auburn haired man began his story, watching Wufei carefully to judge the other man's reactions.

"Do you know about Quatre and myself?"

Wufei shook his head before flushing and giving a very small nod. "I know that you two are together," he spoke embarrassingly, "but I don't take it into myself to pry." Trowa nodded with a small smile.

"We got together after the war, just a few weeks after Une invited us into Preventers. We kept our relationship mostly a secret because of Quatre's business connection."

Trowa had thought it had been a rather good idea then. When they were invited to Preventers personally by Une, Quatre had immediately asked about his company and how it would work out. A schedule was easily created to fit both tight schedules and a contract drawn out and signed by both parties. Afterward when Trowa and Quatre were eating a light dinner together, the blond had spoke up and asked him about his opinion.

Trowa who had been satisfied with working with the circus simply shrugged and said it was a good opportunity. Not only would the both of them be able to use their skills on helping citizens, they could also meet new people and restart a normal life. Quatre had stayed silent then except for a single nod. The dinner had gone on with both of them thinking about their new lives and what it meant to be finally 'free'.

The next day, Quatre had told him that it would be best to keep their relationship a secret except from close friends and family. Understanding why, Trowa had agreed though he had wished the blond had discussed it with him before hand rather than demand it immediately. But the Heavyarms' pilot understood that Quatre preferred to be in control at all times, both public and in private.

"Only a few people really knew about our relationship. You, Heero, and Duo were the main three. We didn't act like a couple outside of you three and at home," Trowa continued, eyes downcast.

After Quatre's declaration of wanting everything to be in secrecy, months passed by. Then the changes began. "Months passed by but things started changing." Trowa, despite understanding his situation, felt his heart clenched up sending a jolt of pain to his mind. He swallowed, wondering why his throat was suddenly so dry. The man had days, weeks, _months_ to accept it yet it still hurt all the same.

Wufei had leaned forward by then, eyes watching his comrade from where he sat. It was troubling to see how confused Trowa was. Other than Heero, Trowa was the only one who could keep a calm face void of all emotions. The only time Wufei had ever seen the other man lose his temper was when any one of them were in danger or were hurt. Otherwise, Trowa's single eye was the only sign of any changing moods. To see the flickering expressions of sadness and pain made Wufei somewhat disturbed. He shuffled closer but said nothing.

Trowa sent him a small smile, face slightly pale but his single visible eye shining with something akin to extreme pain. "He started pushing me away for everything else. Work. . the company, _Duo_. I began to hate everything because it wasn't fair." He frowned, anger flashing in his eyes before coldness set in. "I even hated Heero and Quatre after a while." The whispered confession made Wufei widen his eyes before he nodded slightly. Trowa let out a deep sigh before rubbing his face with both hands.

Everything had truly started with Duo. It was always Duo this and Duo that. Trowa had been angry at Quatre and Duo for forgetting that were other priorities. Friendship was important yes but surely lovers should be the top priority. And Heero had to share a part of the blame as well since if he wasn't so cold to his own lover, Quatre would have time for Trowa. But maybe I'm just in denial, Trowa thought to himself. Quatre should always have time for him. Quatre simply chose not to spend it with him. He spent it on Duo.

Trowa shook his head. "You probably think I'm a fool."

Wufei shook his head hurriedly, one hand moving to reach for Trowa before Wufei forcefully placed it by his side on the floor. There was a frown on his lips but understanding in his eyes. When Wufei spoke, he spoke with a voice full of comfort and understanding. He only hope he could get his message through.

"I don't think you are a fool. You were simply. .in l-love. I don't think it's your fault that things had changed and I understand why you would find yourself hating everyone. It hurts when people leave you out but you can still change it. Maybe talking with Quatre about this like how you are now can help."

Trowa shook his head slightly, eyes closed. His brows furrowed in thought. "No," he said, "it won't help." Wufei moved closer and tilted his head slightly to show he was still listening. Trowa opened his eyes, staring at the empty space before him. The warmth from Wufei reminded him that there was someone there and for once, he could speak his mind. He had originally wanted to simply state that he was single but perhaps he could do more than just that with Wufei.

"I talked to him before this mission and he said that I shouldn't be so . ._selfish_. I became so angry that I stopped talking to him altogether. I even left the house to live in my own apartment half a mile away before joining everyone in the Preventers' apartment. I don't think we can salvage anything and I just don't want to suffer anymore."

This time Wufei did put a hand on top of Trowa's shoulder, gently but awkwardly patting the man. "I. .understand. Though it may seem presumptuous of me, I know how it feels like to feel out of place. I-If it helps, I am always willing to listen to your troubles, Trowa."

Trowa smiled brightly before moving to give a pat on top of Wufei's hands. "Thank you." Wufei smiled back shyly before retrieving his hand. "I know what I'm going to do now." Wufei kept quiet. He would tell Quatre soon and simply make a clean easy break. Trowa knew now the best thing to do. It wasn't his fault that Quatre found himself more enamored -though how much denial he may be in- with Duo and Trowa wasn't going to sit and be the second shadow mistress.

The room fell into a comfortable silence, much like how it was when they were having tea early into the morning. Both men basked in each others' presences. When the clock on Wufei's simple desk beeped, they both jumped before turning to look at the little mechanical object. Trowa shared with Wufei a wry smile when they both saw that hours had already passed by while they talked.

Trowa had came at around six in the evening and it was now nine at night. Wufei, glancing out his small window, noted that it was far too late and dark for anyone to leave. Of course, he needn't worry about his friend since all five of them were well versed in the art of sparring and self defense. But for the sake of keeping a good cover, it was best that no risks were taken when none needed to be taken. Wufei did not know that Trowa's room was only a few doors down.

"Why don't you stay the night?"

Trowa blinked before smirking slightly. "Don't worry. My room is only a few doors down."

Wufei blushed before scowling at the taller man. With a wave from each of them, Wufei closed the door then let out a sigh as he slid down to land on his butt. Back against the door, the Literature major thought about his now rekindled connection with Trowa. What did it really mean? Had the glances mean anything?

Wufei went to sleep with those questions in his head. All he hope for was for tomorrow to be a better and less confusing day.

At the mean time, while Wufei and Trowa were getting comfortable in their beds with their heads up in clouds, Duo was letting out a strangled scream in front of his computer. No matter what he did, he couldn't seem to understand Heero at all! The man never cried, never screamed, never let out a single whimper even when faced with the direst of situations. Heero only smirked, let out a 'hn' or so once every often, and scowled. Even when Duo was threatening to break up with him, the man only walked away with a snort.

The braided man was tired of it, of everything. But why didn't it work?

Duo let out a soft whimper, moving to tug at his hair harshly until a few strands came out before fingers flew over the keyboard of his laptop; a window of code lay open with red lettering spelling out "denied". Heero was going into computing and Duo wondered why. It wasn't as if the man's e-mail was already not hard enough _to crack_. Duo bashed his head against the keyboard in frustration.

Heero's personality was hot when it went Duo's way but when it got _in_ the way, it was no fucking fun at all. There was another cry escaping from his lips when he slumped back against his chair and felt the throbbing pain and the beginning of a bruise. Things just weren't going his way and as creativity wasn't enough to break the hard shell that was Heero Yuy.

There was a knock against his room's door that made him flinch before bellowing out a "coming!" When the door was ripped open, a sheepish Quatre was standing outside with a pack of pop. Duo let him in quickly before falling onto his bed with a grumble. The blond smiled lightly before placing the pack of root beer on the desk and moving to take a seat next to his friend.

"Bad day?"

Duo rolled his eyes before turning to his side, facing Quatre. "You don't know half of it, Q," he mumbled out. Quatre arched a brow and waited for Duo to continued. "Seriously, did you not see him today? He ignored me the whole time. What's wrong with him?" Quatre winced at the sheer frustration seeping out of Duo's voice. His friend's words reminded him easily of what had happened between him and Trowa today. The words with the look that they shared together easily surpassed the amount spoken during on and off conversations.

"Maybe he's. .um, thrown off," offered Quatre.

"Q, Heero? Thrown off?" Duo shook his head.

"Okay, okay, I get it. What are you going to do?"

"I-I don't know. I mean, Quat, this isn't suppose to _happen_! W-We're supposed to be happy," Duo sniffled before sitting up. He moved to wrap both arms around Quatre and to give his friend a hug. The blond blinked before wrapping his owns arms around Duo and giving the taller man a slight squeezed. Duo sighed, tension leaving his shoulders for the first time since they arrived.

"It isn't fair, Quat," he mumbled into Quatre's neck. Quatre simply moved to give Duo's head a pat. "I know, it's okay. Don't think you have to do something right now. Just stop thinking and relax, okay?" Quatre felt him nod against his neck. A hand once again moved to pat Duo's head.

"I-I'm here, Duo. I'm here," whispered Quatre. The response he got was spoken equally softly. "I know. I know, Quatre. T-Thank you."

There was a final sniffle before Duo pulled back with a bright grin. He gave Quatre a pat on the back before standing up to stretch his arms. He twisted his torso slightly before letting out a grunt of satisfaction as bones popped back into place. "Can't stay down the whole day, right Q? Let's call up a nearby pizza place and spend the night watchin' movies! You're gonna stay the night right?"

Duo turned eagerly to his friend. Quatre nodded though inside his mind, the blond was furiously pushing away stray taboo thoughts. There was the faintest hint of pinkness to Quatre's cheeks but it didn't seem like Duo noticed at all. Immediately, the braided man was closing down the window and a list of e-mails Heero used and pulling up a search of nearby restaurants.

As night fell down, one pair was fast asleep in their own rooms while the other pair was enjoying an impromptu movie night. The last incognito student was grumbling in his room, arms crossed as he eyed the information before him. Both his laptop and the given computer in his room were a bright blue. Things were going to be strange for the next few weeks if not months.

While Heero would prefer the mission - the still _unnamed _and _unstable_- mission plan to be successfully executed in less than a month, it might take longer. A pair of fingers moved to pinch the bridge of a strong thin nose. Well, it couldn't get worse, Heero thought. He knew he had a few things to work out with Duo but for now, the mission came first. Heero moved under his blanket after checking the lock on his door and his windows. Since he had no roommate, he knew he would be okay. He turned off his light and settled in for the night.

* * *

AN: Just a bit of insight to both their situations.

To my reviewers: thank you very much!

Signed; I'm hoping it'll be just as you say but I feel as if there might be an emerging '6' somewhere. But we'll see!

Chishueiri: Yeeep, the last one is my favorite. But as I said to Signed, there will be a part where '6' will play. Where or what part, I have yet to know.

Darkpanthress: thank you so much again for pointing it out! I didn't even notice myself.

aronoiiel: Thank you for being a loyal reader! + v + Your review did make my day as the others and I hope you will enjoy the rest of the story as it moves along! I'm sorry for the long wait for the chapters!


	6. Fanclubs and Friendships

May 8, 2011

Fanclubs and Friendship

* * *

Morning came quickly without any problems. Wufei got up before his alarm even let out a single beep, blinking sleepy eyes open. Being used to waking up on hard cold ground or from awkward tents hidden by bushes resulted in a very well-tuned internal clock. It could be both a blessing and a curse. A finger moving to rub at the corners of his eyes as he sat up on his bed, feet dangling somewhat at the edge of the bed. The fog dissipated from his vision a few moments later and Wufei yawned.

In a few hours, he would need to put on his clothing and check his back pack again. Classes would start very soon and if Wufei didn't leave in a bit, he might lose a few important minutes. Time had sped up quickly after all five of them settled into the dorms and their respectively classes. Trowa had recently joined an after school art club and the man's mood had obviously gotten brighter. Wufei had opted out of joining any extracurriculars in hopes that he could take his time after classes to search for anything and everything for their mission. The Chinese man had gotten nothing out of it so far but something was bound to come up sometime later. It always did.

Wufei took time to shower, remembering suddenly that he always woke up at a nice round five o'clock thus giving him a few hours before he had to actually leave. The hot water washed away the bubbly lathers on his body as his sharp mind turned over what he knew.

Une had quickly given them new information on their case after a day or two of settling. What they found out had taken all of them for surprise. While in the academy, they were suppose to blend in as students and get a feel around for how things worked. However, their real mission was to locate the serial killer nicknamed "Pierrot". Quatre and Duo had turned pale with disgust when the pictures from the government issued yellow vanilla folder overflowed the table.

Hands, heads, organs spilling out from cuts and slashes; not even the white plastic sheet covering the pale small slim bodies of the victims made it easier for the five agents to stop imagining the horrible truth hidden in tiny photographs before them. Wufei then felt bile push up and he had swallowed quietly, fingers clenching at his side. The comforting warmth at his side from Trowa had eased him and made it easier to breathe. Heero had winced, complexion paling only a slight bit before he scowled at the table.

"As you boys can see, this isn't just a normal man we're trying to find. He's a natural born killer and someone who enjoys it." Une had spoken up after a few minutes, breaking the growing tension and awkwardness in the room. Duo rolled his eyes sarcastically, hands moving to grab and link with Quatre's smaller but still equally callused fingers. "You think?"

Heero had apparently paid no mind to them and the sudden closeness between Duo and Quatre. He steadfastly pointed out the few things that the victims had in common as Trowa wordlessly motioned Une for the files. Wufei leaned forward to read over the files and the report. While he had seen enough blood and deaths in his years fighting during the war, _those_ deaths had been honorable and in a rather morbid way, _predictable_. When in a war, even civilian and soldier knew that deaths are inevitable whether it be their enemy or their own.

And so, as a soldier, they lived every day already prepared to meet their maker. Wufei rather be shot in the temple, stabbed to death, or killed in some sort of a death match than be raped and humiliated. It was worse when the corpse was put before everyone else to see and gawk at. Even the report was filled with gruesome details describing the way each victim had been attacked and how they ultimately died. Trowa moved closer to Wufei but made no move to otherwise comfort him. The Chinese man had felt grateful for it.

"All twenty four victims were young men and all were found in various parts of the academy," mumbled Sally.

Heero then pushed away a few of the top pictures. The ones underneath them were no better and no less bloody. Duo hissed and turned away before frowning and setting his body straight. Une sighed softly before shaking his head. "Twenty seven victims known actually." Trowa looked up and his brows furrowed at their commander.

"You mean you don't know how many are actually victims of this guy?" Quatre cried out as he slowly edged closer to the table. There was a slight pause before the blond joined Heero in shuffling through pictures gingerly. Une shook her head before Sally explained. The doctor moved toward Heero and pointed at several pictures.

"As you can see," Sally had said softly, "all the victims are male and around the age of the students here. All of them are on the slim to lightly muscled side but no commonality in terms of height, race, or religion."

Sally squinted at the table, crossing her arms as she leaned forward to stare. Wufei noted that she had dark bags under her eyes and her hair was slightly on greasy side. Her clothes was baggy and she was obviously in need of a good long rest. Une looked as good as always though it was now obvious that behind the mask of professionalism, there was tiredness and discomfort.

"There's not even a single thing the same about them with their backgrounds or their majors. This is why we had all five of you put into different majors and different dorms."

Une cut Sally off. "We need you to keep an eye out to look for more information on the murderer. We don't know why he's killing or if it is time-related. Just keep an eye out, send back reports, and don't get killed."

Duo didn't let out a single word as he started reading the files that Trowa finished. Wufei had then started pacing. Une sent them all a look and all five sighed and focused on her. "I know you all want to do things _your_ way but I'm afraid cracking into school codes, doing night time scouting, and pulling a gun to threaten a few people won't work this time. You need to _trust_ me."

Everyone nodded. "We got it," Heero grunted out before shoving all the photos into the yellow packet they came in. With a confident smile, Une said her goodbyes to her team before leaving inconspicuously. "Remember agents, we're need you alive and out after this mission. Don't get cocky and _don't _mess up."

The door closed with a sense of finality and all five of them moved to gather their own wits and their own information about the case. Heero had immediately sat down and pulled out his laptop. Quatre and Duo left soon after, voices low and mumbling to themselves. Trowa and Wufei stayed over for a few more hours, helping Heero make a plan.

Days had passed since then. Everyone kept an eye out but no one made any move to instigate. They all agreed to wait and to see. Five pairs of sharp eyes and equally sharp minds should be able to tell whether or not something was coming.

A hand turned the key, locking the door to his room. With just a backpack on his shoulder and a simple attire after a quick shower, Wufei was ready for a new but still stressful day at 'school'. With a soft song on his tongue, the 'shy and quiet' transfer student took the stairs down to the outside of his 'home'. The little pathway went between two patches of woods and lead up to the main campus where most of Wufei's classes took place. The rest of the group also gathered around the around the area after school to meet up and give some quick reports; it helped that Wufei's department was also the home of many other teens of differing majors. Classes intertwined there and the diversity was more than easily acknowledgeable.

He barely made it in time to class -something Wufei was told was the 'norm' for students now a days living with a harsh and busy class schedule- before the bell rang loudly and signified the closing of classroom doors.

Everyone fell into a quiet mass of hushed conversations and whispers. The teacher had yet to make his appearance but Wufei didn't have a bit of himself that cared for Mr. Bryns. The man was a good teacher perhaps but as a man, barely toilet edged scum. Not only did the bulky stereotypical jock-turned-teacher enjoy antagonizing Wufei, the man also showed how immature adults could truly be with his comments on Wufei's race and 'lack' of potential.

The Shenlong pilot did his best to ignore Bryns but even meditation techniques grow old after so much prodding and snarking. When the obviously unhappy teacher came in, slammed the door shut loudly, and glared at his class, Wufei had already finished reading _and_ doing most of the classwork as presented in the syllabus. So he simply waited, mind drifting off but habits keeping some of his attention.

"Roll call!" Bryns snarled.

"Jason!" A grumble and a hand near the back waved. "Todd!" There was a grunt from one of the shadowy corners. "Timothy!" A meek 'here!' was given before the name was checked off the list. Wufei steeled himself. "And Chang Brandon!"

Wufei nearly rolled his eyes in a show of contempt before raising his hand. Though the man obviously saw him, Bryns simply smirked. "What? No answer?" the teacher asked while smacking the clip board filled with roosters on the messy desk. "Not here then?"

Wufei scowled and was about to open his mouth and say something when a voice from a few seats away answered for him. "I _believe_ his name is actually _Brandon Chang_. I heard Asian culture has the family name first so it should be switched in European or English-dominated countries. Perhaps he simply didn't recognized you were calling him. Sir."

Wufei twisted his upper torso a bit to cast a surprised glance to whoever had the guts to talk back to one of the most 'feared' teachers in the academy. To his bewilderment, Wufei found that the one student to stand up for him happened to look quite a bit like Maxwell despite the dark brown hair and light blue eyes. Although the skin tone was darker -bronze would be a good word to describe the other person-, there was no doubt the merriment in those sky blue eyes were no less dangerous than the Shinigami.

If anything, the 'eat shit' grin on the boy's face was more than enough to prove the brunette's hard skin.

Bryns sneered. "Well, well Edward. You must have a lot of time if you're making friends with _people_ like Brandon here." The urge to punch the man or at least throw something to wipe Bryns's arrogant smirk off was nearly unstoppable. But Wufei had enough restraint to keep the urges at bay. Edward on the other hand, didn't seem to think anything physical was needed.

"Nah, just interested in meeting a fellow intellectual. You won't believe how hard it is to come by smart people in this academy." Edward leaned back, feet propping up on his desk as he smiled. Bryns looked like he was about to kick the kid out or do something equally drastic but something pulled him back. Wufei did not imagine the quick sliver of fear that flickered through the History teacher's face. It was something worth looking into.

However with class starting -finally- and Edward going back to his own business, it was hardly a time to start pondering and profiling. It would have to wait until later. But whether or not this was a breakthrough or a hint at coming times was uncertain. As Wufei chewed on the end of his pen as he pretended to take notes, he hoped that the rest of the team was having better days.

On the other side of the building, Heero was grumbling to himself as the Computer Science teacher began putting students into groups of two for a project. While he would prefer to be in a more advanced class, being put in a beginner's class made keeping his identity a secret easier. He wouldn't have to worry about being caught unawares if he was checking things up online -since there was little he really had to work on- and the large amount of busy loud people would hide most of his presence.

"Hiiro and Jessica."

A blond bubblehead let out a soft squeal from the other side of the room before bursting into giggles with her group of friends. Heero wrinkled his nose as his brow scrunched up in concentration. Fingers flew across his laptop's keyboard. He heard her walk over, steps clunky because of the unstable stilettos she wore. "So hi!" she said cheerily.

Heero just grunted back.

"Uh," uncertain, Jessica stood still and waited. Heero just kept on typing, ignoring the blond and obviously fake tanned female beside him. The class was now loud and full of energy as partners started on their projects and getting to know each other. "Sooo, my name is Jessica but you can totally like call me Jess!"

Heero did not respond verbally, finding no particular reason to. Instead, he rolled his shoulders into a shrug and let the girl take it as she wanted to. Unfortunately for Heero, the agent still had very little experience dealing with certain females and their incessant need to blather. If he had expected something similar to say, Une or Sally's, response, he was about to be surprised.

"Weeeell, this totally means you're gonna do everything right?~"

At once, cobalt blue eyes snapped to the side and Heero glared coldly at the bottle blond. She took a step back in surprise and fear before scowling, arms crossing across her ample and scantily visible chest. Jessica then let out a soft sigh before simpering to Heero.

"C'mon, Hiiro! I'm totally stupid and I can't really do stuff like. . ..like coding or whatever this class makes us do. If you do all the work, we can both get A's and I swear I'll like, return the favor somehow." The blond pouted, as an arm moved to twine around Heero's stilled bicep. "Please, pretty please? I'll do anything you ask, I swear!" Jessica whined.

The whole thing was worse than Relena's whinging about her rights and freedom, Heero thought to himself before nodding to Jessica. "Fine," he said, "but I _will_ collect on that favor." He turned back to his academy supplied laptop. Jessica let out another annoying squeal of happiness before nodding her head at the boy before her. She couldn't believe her lucky day! But there was no such thing as a perfectly good thing.

" No problemo! So, uh, that favor isn't going to be like super weird or anything right?"

For the second time, Heero looked to her. Unlike the first time, there was a hint of uncertainty and disgust at Jessica's last words. A quick study told Heero that the girl had expected him to ask her for something like money or perhaps even something _sexual_. Heero snorted and Jessica frowned, feet moving to tap against the floor in an impatient manner.

"Seriously! I won't do anything weird for you." Heero grumbled and nodded. "Just give me names and descriptions of the people here." Jessica arched a brown brow -she had been too afraid to dye her eyebrows- at Heero and nodded. "Oh, that's right," she exclaimed as if suddenly understanding something, "you're new here. No wonder I couldn't recognized you."

"Well, Hiiro, you can rest well with me 'cause I know just about everyone here. Except you know, the people who just got here like you." Jessica thought Heero was simply shy and anti social. "Well, we can start with my friends!" Jessica draped her arm over Heero, causing him to start slightly before glaring at the arm around his shoulder. Jessica didn't seem to have noticed.

"That," Jessica motioned to a nearby and curious brunette who took off her glasses to wipe the lens. "Her name is May. She's a sports fan so if you want to get into any clubs, just talk to her. And her friend, Jay-Jay, is a fan of comics so-"

Damn it, Heero grumbled as he partially tuned her out, this has to be worth it.

"Damn it, this has to be worth it," sighed Trowa as he continued to strip himself of his clothes. The girls giggled while the boys let out a whoop of laughter. The teacher shushed them before nodding for Trowa to continue. The auburn haired man had already dropped all of his clothes on the floor, feet untangling from the ends of his pants as Trowa moved to stand in front of the podium, unabashed about his nakedness.

He had joined the club because he had thought he would be able to work out his problems at the comfort of his favorite hobbies. Unfortunately, Trowa was a new a kid, 'fresh meat' so to say. The club was no different from his classes; everyone wanted to know and see the new kid. It just so happens that in classrooms it was mostly questioning and five minute speeches about who he is and where he came from. In an extracurricular club like art, it meant he had to model so the rest of the club members could see him in an artistic way.

He was not particularly shy about his body. Trowa knew many years of training and many years fighting battles of his own had made his body a slim but sturdy structure of lean muscle. His six pack was still very much visible and though he was lean, he was obviously fit. And most of all, his 'size' was already bigger and longer than average. He had nothing to fear. He smiled as the girls swooned and the boys whispered words of envy. The teacher motioned for him to pose and Trowa copied from memory one of the simple poses found in most artists' works.

As the sounds of pencils and charcoal on paper started filling the air, the auburn male let his mind wander over to his own problems and his own muses. While Heero had either not noticed -the man was dense in the subject of sensitivity and emotions after all- or not cared about Quatre's and Duo's new closeness, Trowa did. It meant many things and a new future for himself. He was happy that Quatre could finally move on and find himself someone much more suitable to his personality. Trowa would not lie when he said it.

But most of all, he was excited at the many possibilities this event brought to him. If Quatre was truly getting closer to Duo in more than a friendship kind of way, then it meant that Trowa himself would be free to woo his crush, Wufei. He did not think anyone else except Quatre had an idea of where his heart was going but at this moment, it didn't matter. What could Duo say when he was obviously leaving Heero and running to his blond friend? And Heero's words would not matter either.

But even then, Trowa frowned suddenly, it felt as if Heero was off in one way or another. But in what? He supposed he could use the rest of the hour of modeling to think about it.

Luckily for all of them, lunch came as soon as the bell tolled. While some areas of the academy preferred to use an electronic bell or music from a pre-uploaded playlist, the classes where Wufei and Trowa preferred the original bell. Students began shuffling out of their classrooms, shoving belongings back into their backpacks or purses as they headed toward the cafeteria. Heero joined the moving mass from the economic class he had just been in. Trowa stretched before stepping out of the classroom and moving toward the commons, where the cafeteria was located. They got there at about the same time, nods between the two acknowledging the other. Duo and Quatre were already seated with their own respectively bowls steaming with either some sort of soup or noodles. Duo ignored Heero who chose to sit next to Trowa. The latter of course chose to sit down n the other side of both Duo and Quatre. Now, all that was left to complete the table was Wufei.

The Chinese man on the other hand was a bit busy doing something else. Bryns had gotten angry at him after Wufei proved that he had read and memorized the books inside out. Edward had sat int he back laughing loudly every time Wufei answered. It had annoyed the Chinese male to a point but Wufei bit his lip and told himself it was a very short arrangement.

But now that class was over, he had been held back a few minutes because Bryns had something to say about his 'showing off' in class. Wufei shrugged it off and had simply pointed out in short curt words that he was simply following the rules and doing his homework as Bryns has demanded of them in the beginning of class.

By the time he could leave, no one was around. Except for, of course, the blue eyed brunette who grinned sweetly at Wufei from his position next to the door. Wufei arched a brow, lips tilting down somewhat at this sudden surprise. What could have brought this on? He had wanted to learn more about Edward but he did not plan for an opportunity to come this fast. Usually, people wanted to stay away from him, not go near him.

"Heading to lunch, Brandon?"

Curious but cautious, Wufei just nodded. Edward grinned and tugged on his backpack. "Coolio 'cause I'm heading to lunch too. Let's head off together, yea'?" Wufei grumbled to himself for a moment before speaking up, voice low and brows furrowed. "You don't even have the manners to ask me to go with you and you think I will?" The brunette arched a brow before smirking, hands up in the universal 'I surrender' pose. " Yeowch, you're plucky. But that's okay, I like that too!"

Wufei actually sighed out loud this time and let himself be pulled and led around b Edward. The two got to the lunchroom in record time despite leaving the classroom late. After passing through the commons and then the cafeteria's large doors, the two went and got their lunch. Edward picked a slice of chicken and habanero pizza with a cup of coke. His chosen side was mashed potatoes and some french fries. Wufei had gingerly picked up a large bowl of salad, adding some slices of mandarin oranges and green beans. He picked a steaming cup of oolong tea instead of the variety of European tea and soft drinks.

They moved toward the sitting area. Wufei, who caught sight of his fellow teammates made his way toward them only to be tugged back by a hand on his elbow. Edward looked at him somewhat forlornly, sky blue eyes wide with a mix of fake and real innocence. Wufei paused, his own dark hues widening in confusion. His body wanted to throw the other man across the room but his mind told him he was suppose to be an ordinary student and ordinary students did not assault other students.

"Aren't you going to sit with me? I want to introduce you to all my friends!"

Oh, what on earth did he get into?

And why is Trowa glaring so heatedly toward his directions?

Wufei felt stuck at his spot between two people and two tables though he didn't particularly know why. He only hoped his next decision would be a good one.


End file.
